Jack of All Trades
by silkhidingrose
Summary: Life in a lavish cage finally ends for a young girl who has everything within reach, but nothing to call her own. Charisma, intelligence, elegance, civility, and cunning. Everything had been whittled and polished into perfection, and anything unnecessary cast out. Her entire life had been planned out for her by her family's matriarch. And yet, fate led her to the Miracles.
1. Down the Rabbit Hole

**{Author's Notes: Hey, I edited to a more polished version! Hope you enjoy! Hello, welcome to the story of Fujisaki Kotomi! I've always wanted to write a story like this one, so I truly hope you enjoy the ride! Let me know what you think!}**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or its characters, all the content belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki, and published by Shueisha. I do not make any profit on this, and I only own my characters. Please support the official release.**

* * *

"Mother, I don't understand why she needs to go to school so far away. Why can't she just go to school in London, or even Kyoto has perfectly fine middle schools!"

"Your daughter is a Reinwalt _and_ a Fujisaki. Two _proud_ families built upon millennia of the best money has to offer. She will not be going to "perfectly fine" schools. Teiko will challenge her in many ways, not simply academics."

 _But she wanted to be in Kyoto with her grandmother and grandfather._

"Well, we can't just pick up and leave England like this. I have to stay at the firm, and Takahiro's transfer over to the Japan office will take months, maybe even years, I—"

"Do you think I'm going to let her father lay a hand on that girl's education? Your sickness must be getting to your head, Eliza. Madoka has been in Japan for the last 5 years and she plans to stay there, correct?"

 _She didn't want to be all by herself in Tokyo._

"Yes, well, Madoka is busy at the studio, so—"

"Madoka is her godmother. Godmothers watch over their godchildren in the parents' stead. She is merely doing her duty, as I have, and as will Kotomi, since Ayato is being a child and Tomoki is—"

"Mother…please don't."

Deafening stillness signaled the end of the hour-long showdown between a concerned mother and an overbearing grandmother. Beside Eliza Fujisaki stood a tiny teen whose visage closely resembled a doll. She would no doubt flourish into a beauty with her dark hair ending at her chin and her large, bright blue eyes. She gazes up at her grandmother with a stoic, sharp eyed gaze, nodding once. Most people cowered under the gaze of Lady Cordelia Chastain Reinwalt, all but her husband and her granddaughter.

"You will study at Teiko, starting this April, Kotomi. Is that understood?" Kotomi nods once, her expression unchanging.

"Yes, grandmother." Her own words defy all the rejection of the notion, every pore screaming in defiance. She wanted to throw a tantrum, kick the chair, pound her fists, anything. Kotomi's eyes wander over to the mocha brown-haired woman standing behind the beautiful elderly woman. Her mother wouldn't make eye contact with her. She was ashamed, unable to even look at her own daughter at the mercy of her grandmother.

"You're dismissed. Next week, Ezekiel will take you shopping for what you need." Kotomi takes a step back and curtsies politely, as per her grandmother's commands since her 10th birthday.

"Yes, grandmother." Kotomi turns and leaves the room, her bottom lip trembling and her brow furrowing as her façade shatters to smaller pieces as she retreats from the kitchen.

Of course, Japan was nothing new to her. For six years she called Japan her home before her family moved to England, after all. Just not in Tokyo. But a thirteen-year-old just about to start middle school had nothing on her 72-year old grandmother, whose age only made her stricter with every passing awkward birthday party of dull socializing, playing the violin, and reciting 19th century poetry by memory before an entourage of Oxford and Cambridge scholars.

Still, her mother, like Kotomi, was no match, for she too knew of her grandmother's tyranny all too well. And her father was no kind of help, being nowhere in sight once again today. Kotomi moved silently on her feet, away from the scene, her vision blurry as she stumbled, unfocused, to her grandfather's office, where he typed away at his newest novel, the deadline for publication on his heels. Of course, he always had time for his beloved granddaughter, with whom he shared a love for sports, from fencing to ballet to street basketball, though the latter were far in the past for a man who could no longer move as he used to. When he looks up, his light green eyes sparking with mirth and concern for his blood, he immediately stands and moves to his cozy velvet armchair by the fireplace, sitting just in time for the teen to crawl into his lap, curling up and hiding her face in the fine upholstery.

"Grandfather."

"I know, little Alice," he sighed, his nickname granted to her by him, thanks to her ever-curious nature likened to the titular character of Lewis Carroll, her favorite story, and the name of her great great grandmother. "I could hear the both of them from here."

"Can't you do something? I don't want to go."

"Now, now, where is my little adventurer? You know that your grandmother only wants the best—"

"For the family. Not for me," Kotomi insisted, hiccupping softly, though she shed no tears. "For the family."

"What's best for the family is best for you." He sighs, petting her hair affectionately, wondering briefly for how many more years would he be able to share these tender moments with her, knowing that one day he would not be here, or that she would no longer return home. "Because you are the future."

"Why me?" It was a question she asked often, but one she knew the answer to. But she asked it all the same.

"Do you love your mother, little Alice?"

"Of course."

"Your grandmother?"

A long silence.

"Yes."

"Your father and brothers?"

An even longer silence, and with no response, her grandfather sighed, pulling the young girl's face away from its hiding place. "Kotomi…"

"I know," she sighs heavily again, getting down from her grandfather's lap and clutching the fabric of her skirt, pouting childishly.

"You'll get to visit your other favorite grandparents during the weekends."

"I know."

"And Madoka will be watching you, isn't that right? Which means you'll have to stay at the studio, sometimes," His smile widens as his granddaughter's eyes sparked with intrigue.

"But…grandmother said I can't."

"But I say you can. It'll just be our little secret, alright? During the weekends, you can start hip hop classes with Madoka—" He doesn't even finish his sentence before the young girl throws herself on top of him again, squealing with delight.

"I get to dance again!"

"Shh," Kotomi can hardly contain her giggles nor her urge to hug the elderly man as he places a finger to his lips, giving her a mischievous smile. "Remember, our little secret."

"But keeping a secret from grandmother? That's…impossible."

"Nonsense. Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!" Kotomi giggles again, her eyes following her grandfather as he stands and retreats to the corner of his office, reaching down into a chest and pulling out two foils, the swords carefully packed within their leather cases. "But in return for my silence on the matter, you simply must practice with me this afternoon." Kotomi grins as she takes one foil, sliding her fingers across its metal handle, her smile growing to be just as mischievous as her grandfather's.

"Only if you join me for afternoon tea, afterwards. It's my unbirthday, after all."

"But of course, young Alice." With the uncertainty in her chest and a gentle hope protecting her heart, Kotomi follows him to the dance hall. What would she find at the bottom of her little rabbit hole?

* * *

Months Later

The April air of Japan spoke of clear skies and soft breezes, and yet Kotomi could find no joy as she was escorted by her godmother's son, Ichiro Tachibana. Despite her grandfather's efforts to cheer her up, she was still bitter and reluctant to leave her comfortable life in England. But she shed a small tear when she spotted the elderly man at the doorway beside her grandmother, the only one with a smile and teary eyes. Kotomi received a quiet reprimand from her childhood friend, as she kneeled on the leather seats of Ichiro's Cadillac to watch him disappear behind her family estate's gates.

Ichiro, a stoic, strict, bookish young man in his first year of college at Tokyo University, with his mother's reddish-brown hair and sharp hazel eyes, quietly escorted the younger girl through the confusion that was Narita airport. Kotomi could only stare ahead vacantly, though she was far from empty headed. Her mother could barely meet her eyes as she was brought to the car, likely ashamed that she could do nothing in the face of her mother to protect her only daughter. Her father was off who knows where with who knowns who, likely unaware that his only daughter was being shipped away like a prize horse across the ocean to be trained and polished. She was confused by her sadness to leave them; it wasn't as if she were close to them.

When they finally arrive at the apartment she would be sharing with her godmother, Madoka Tachibana is already waiting with open arms and a wide grin. Instead of using her majors in Psychology and Education to professor at some stuffy school, Madoka much preferred teaching disenfranchised youths how to dance in Los Angeles, California. She even started a YouTube channel to reach even more young people, and those who couldn't afford to make the trek over to her dance studio. Thanks to Eliza pulling some strings, Madoka opening up another studio in the city of Tokyo, where her parents grew up. Kotomi smiles and embraces her godmother. She liked Madoka and her son. They were good, honest people. Madoka spoke first after a long minute of embrace.

"I hope my Ichiro wasn't too boring on the way here, Kotomi."

"Not at all. Though he did scold me." Ichiro huffed indignantly as he unloads her bags from the trunk of his car.

"She was standing on my new seats." Madoka rolls her eyes. "I see you two are getting along as always."

"He's fine."

"She's alright." Madoka laughs again, ruffling Kotomi's hair and giving her son a kiss on the cheek when he comes to greet her.

"Okay, enough bickering, you two," _If that could be called bickering…_ Madoka had forgotten how quiet Kotomi became after the incident with her and both her brothers, though she couldn't blame the young girl. "Let's get your stuff settled. Monday will be on us in no time, and I still need to pick up your uniform." Kotomi and Ichiro both silently set to work, wordlessly agreeing that Ichiro would unpack and Kotomi would bring her things to her room. Madoka watches for a moment, before she sighs.

"Jeez, how efficient can you guys be…?"

The unpacking is quite fun, thanks to Madoka teasing her son to no end and playing her loud, but energetic Zumba music to keep them motivated. The night ends with Tonkatsu curry, a fusion of Madoka's two favorite things, and Kotomi settling into her newly furnished room. Despite the warm welcome to Japan, Kotomi can only dread the coming Monday, when she would start school at Teiko Junior High, her first time since elementary school setting foot in a Japanese school. Though, her grandfather instilled within her a sense of wonder and hope for the future. As she stares at the ceiling, her eyes and body finally succumbing to all the heavy lifting she did today, Kotomi murmurs to herself.

"It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards…"

* * *

When Monday comes, Kotomi is already exhausted from unpacking all weekend. Ichiro had to prepare for his own first day of college, living with his father in Kanagawa half an hour away, and Kotomi insisted that Madoka attend to her duties at the dance studio.

However, this left Kotomi unpacking on her own, as well as purchasing all her necessities for her first day of junior high. Madoka even went out of her way to prepare a traditional Japanese breakfast of mackerel, miso soup, rice, and veggies for Kotomi before heading to work, much to the teen's gratitude. Though not even the tastiest of mackerel could prepare her for the bustling streets of Tokyo, being shoved and pushed in the chaos of morning rush hour until she finally found herself before the gates of Teiko, seating herself amongst the sea of raven haired students for the entrance ceremony, staring at her phone as she texted the group chat of her friends, only looking up when the feedback of the microphone led her attention to the principal on stage.

Kotomi looks on with feigned interest, glancing around briefly and spotting the upperclassmen and their parents, as well as the parents of the other first years, just feet away from their children. Then she looks away. It isn't as if she had anyone watching her anyways. Her grandparents in Kyoto were busy with work, as was Madoka.

"Welcome, new students, returning students. I look forward to a new year with you at Teiko. As you know…" His words became a dull buzzing in Kotomi's ears after a few minutes, and her eyes soon started searching for any kind of stimulation, her tapping fingers wanting to reach for her phone again, which flashed with new messages incessantly.

"Hey, you're pretty popular, I guess?" The whisper has her eyes darting up to the voice's owner, which led them now to a young man with messy brown hair, black roots growing from the top of his head and kind eyes the color of chestnuts. "Sorry, it's just that this guy's so boring. I was counting people's shoelaces when I noticed your phone." Kotomi merely smiled politely, nodding in agreement, before looking away, but he persisted. "So, what's your name? I'm guessing that your family name starts with F, considering—"

"Fujisaki." Kotomi answered quickly, though keeping her voice low, smiling politely again. She supposed this was a good enough distraction. "Kotomi Fujisaki." The young man looks slightly surprised, but then tilts his head, still smiling.

"Are you from Hong Kong or something? Or no, it's gotta be the UK. You've got an accent and you introduced yourself with your name backwards." Kotomi looks away, blushing slightly out of embarrassment of her own mistake, causing the young man to laugh softly."

"I'm Sorry, I just came back to Japan. I've been living in England since I was 6."

"Ahaha, it's alright. That's pretty cool, actually. Welcome back. Ah, my name is Akihisa, by the way. Fujita Akihisa."

"Right…nice to meet you…ah, Fujita-kun."

""Nice, you remember your honorifics. But it's Fujita-senpai." Kotomi turns even redder, causing her seatmate to snicker a little too loudly, the girls on his side glancing over at the two of them. It occurs to Kotomi five seconds later that the first years were all seated together, there's no way he could be an upperclassman. She huffs and puffs her cheeks out, giving him a gentle shove, which he tries to block with another laugh.

"Sorry, sorry! Just helping you out!"

"I would like for everyone in the audience to remain quiet, I am almost done with the commencement speech. I know how excited you are to begin at such a good school." The disapproving tone of the principal and the glares of the student council betray his words, and Kotomi looks down again, head hung in shame. Not even the first day, she was causing trouble. And yet, she couldn't stop smiling, glancing at Fujita, who merely scratches his head and grins, a small blush on his cheeks as he mouths 'sorry' to her. Kotomi only returns a small smile, still giggling to herself.

"Man," Fujita sighs as he stretches, yawning loudly, to the irritation of the girls passing by him. "That was way too long! Don't you think, Fujisaki-chan?" Ignoring the sudden familiarity, or the assumption that she was younger than him, Kotomi nods, though her silence is taken in stride. "I can't believe he expected us to be quiet for that long."

"Well, you were quite entertaining with your finger puppets afterwards."

"Hah! For real? You could tell what was going on?"

"Of course, I speak fluent finger puppet."

"What was your favorite part?"

"When the wizard gave his pet rabbit to the knight."

"What? That was a princess!" Kotomi glances at him in bewilderment.

"Seriously?" Fujita grins.

"Nah, you were right. It was a knight."

"You joke far too much."

"And you speak too proper. Loosen up a little!"

"It's the first day of school and you got me in trouble." Fujita gasps, hand on his chest as if she had stabbed him

.  
"I show you my finger puppets and _this_ is how you repay me? By blaming me for something you did? You pushed me first!" Kotomi laughs a little, giving him a gentle shove with her shoulder.

"And I'll do it again if you don't stop teasing me!" The male laughs, shaking his head.

"Fine, fine. I'll stop for now. I gotta go find the location for the basketball club before we go to homeroom, anyway. Hopefully they have some fliers up already…" Kotomi almost stops walking at this, tilting her head.

"Basketball…?"

"Yeah, you didn't know? The basketball team is insanely good here. Guys in the first string end up playing professionally, even!" His eyes shined with a familiar brightness that made Kotomi uneasy, though she keeps her smile and laughs a little without missing a beat.

"First string…? I suppose these terms are exclusive to Japan?"

"Oh right, the whole moving thing. Well! I guess I'll have to teach you then! What clubs are you interested in?"

"Probably the kendo club."

"Kendo, huh? That's surprising. You're all thin and delicate looking, I thought you would go for the baking club or something." Kotomi's giggle sounds endearing, though it was one out of disbelief more than anything. She's heard far worse from some of both of her grandparents' more traditional and conservative friends, so she took it in stride.

"Oh my, you've caught me. I planned to join the fabric weaving club, since the cooking club involves carrying my own bowls, and my tiny arms could hardly withstand all that weight. Oh, but maybe I can join the tea party club, though I think the cups could—"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Fujita waves his arms frantically in front of her face before she can continue with her speech, clapping his hands together and bowing his head. "Forgive me! I just thought-you know! Ah, man! So!" He shoots up suddenly, shocking Kotomi enough that she stops walking. "You like Kendo, huh? That's cool."

"My grandfather on my father's side is a Kendo instructor."

"Seriously? Really cool. I used to watch the competitions with my older brother all the time. He loves it. He even wanted to study Kendo with his hero, Fujisaki Daijiro! He was—wait." Fujita looks at Kotomi incredulously. Her raises an eyebrow and smiles.

"Oh no, please, go on. I'd like to hear more." Fujita takes a few steps back, his back hitting the wall.

"You're… you're his…?"

"I believe that the word is 'granddaughter.' Though I can't blame you for being confused. Fujisaki is fairly common." Kotomi laughs, covering her mouth to hide her amusement as best she can as Fujita gasps even louder.

"No way! My brother's gonna freak! Is there any way you could—"

"Talk to Grandfather? Of course I can, though I won't see him until this weekend. I can't ask him to accept your brother, but…" Kotomi smirks a little. "I might put in a special word if your brother manages to beat me in a match sometime." Fujita looks as though he's seen a divine figure, though Kotomi ignores the look out of embarrassment and for taking her phone out, opening her e-mail.

"Here, give me your contact info."

"Y-yes ma'am!" Fujita quickly retrieves his phone, almost dropping it in the process. They exchange in silence, before Fujita glances up at Kotomi, who is intent on copying his information, before he speaks again with a bashful grin, his tone laced with playfulness.

"Is this a sly way of getting my number? Are you hitting on m—"

"On second thought, maybe I shouldn't be so involved. I changed my m—"

Gah! Okay, okay, I'm sorry! Forget I said anything!"

* * *

After finding out that they were not in the same homeroom, with Kotomi being in the advanced first year's class, and Fujita in the regular class, Kotomi continued her own to the classroom for commemorative photos. As she walks in, she keeps her head held high, her grandmother's voice echoing in her head to "make a good impression." She kept that air about her, that she was welcome for amicable conversation, but she would not stand for disrespect. She surveys the crowd of first years, her soon to be classmates, one catches her eye. A young man with crimson red hair. She remembers such an intense shade of red very vaguely, at a party while she still lived in Japan with her parents and her grandparents in Kyoto.

Her father's parents, distinguished figures in Japan in their own rights, often held elegant but quiet parties in their traditional Japanese estate. It was more than likely that her classmate was the son of one of those business partners, though she couldn't place the name. He seems to notice her staring too, and she almost considers coming up to introduce herself, but the way his shoulders tense ever so slightly tells her that he didn't want to be recognized, and she wasn't one to initiate conversation with someone who didn't want it.

She sits down instead, a little anxious, waiting for the instructions from the homeroom teacher.

"Alright, class, let's get together for our class picture…when I call your name, please line up against the wall. Shorter students in the front…Akashi Seijuro."

Ah, there it was. Kotomi definitely recognized that family name. Akashi Masaomi, a business rival of her father's, with whom he had an amicable relationship, as amicable as a professional relationship can be. She remembered his wife more than the man himself. She was a beautiful woman with beautiful red hair, and she was the kindest socialite Kotomi had ever met in her six years of life at the time, paling only in comparison to her grandfather.

The Akashis had brought along their only son, and heir to the Akashi empire, a polite, but quiet young boy with bright crimson eyes. They shared nothing more than a quiet greeting before her family moved on with Kotomi clinging to her grandmother's kimono. She never saw him again, until now. It was likely he didn't remember her, and honestly Kotomi preferred it that way. She says nothing and doesn't even look at him again, waiting patiently for her name to be called for the picture. When all is said and done, and the first class begins, Kotomi takes a random seat, ending up beside a green haired boy, who was carrying around a small glass bead with pretty swirling colors of red, orange and yellow. But why carry it around?

"Can I help you with something?" Kotomi glances up at the bespectacled boys, taken aback for just a moment.

 _Pretty eyes…_

"Sorry, I was just admiring your bead." She smiles and tilts her head at him, "I like it. It looks like you captured wildfire."

"Hn," He glances away from her, huffing in annoyance, though Kotomi didn't feel the same tensions she felt when she was caught staring at the Akashi boy. "It doesn't have anything to do with how pretty it is."

"But it's pretty nonetheless. There's nothing wrong with thinking something is beautiful, is there?" Another scoff.

"Perhaps." And then nothing more is said, so Kotomi turns her attention back to the board, unaware of the pair of green eyes glancing back at her visage, a nervous hand fiddling with the glass bead.

"I can't believe it," Madoka gasped, stretching carefully by placing one of her legs against the ballet bar and bending forward into it. Kotomi watches her as she does her own stretches, wearing a loose long-sleeved t-shirt and leggings. Her balls feet are pressed together in front of her as she bends forward, the stretch welcoming to her legs. "You made a friend already? I guess you're more like old Callum than Cordelia?"

"He spoke to me more than anything. He was quite nice."

"Don't be getting a boyfriend now, Kotomi!" Her tone is not nearly as authoritative as her grandmother's would be if she found out about Fujita.

"We just met."

"If he thinks you're pretty, and he probably does, time stops existing for young boys." Kotomi rolls her eyes as she stands up, doing a few squats and buttkickers, then jumping up and down, her lips turned up slightly. Madoka smiles as well, knowing just how much her goddaughter loved dancing. It was her grandfather who suggested Madoka that Kotomi dance in secret in Japan, since he couldn't convince his wife to keep here in England in the first place. It seemed like a good hobby for Kotomi to let herself breathe and have fun with. "And if he saw you dance, well, I think her would be kissing the ground you walked on." Kotomi merely laughs as a group of shy young girls and a few boys enter the room, politely greeting Madoka and Kotomi. Today was for beginners, ages 13-15.

"I highly doubt that." Madoka glances with a smile as Kotomi turns to set up Madoka's I-Phone to the speaker, knowing that the teen wouldn't notice how the boys in the group stared at her as she walked by.

"Oh, little Kotomi, you have no idea…"

* * *

 **Please leave reviews!**

 **Love, Silky**


	2. Curiouser and Curiouser

**{ Author's Notes: I'm currently in the process of trying to update every chapter to have the same format as the more recent ones, if only to satisfy me. But I thought you guys would be able to read easier if there was continuity across structures. Hope you enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or its characters, all the content belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki, and published by Shueisha. I do not make any profit on this, and I only own my characters. Please support the official release.**

* * *

 **Curiouser and Curiouser**

"Join the literature club!"

"The volleyball club!"

"Join Teiko's swim cl- "

"Soccer club is great for your relationships!" Kotomi dodges the incoming upperclassmen with their fliers and clipboards, whining a little as she tries to keep up with Fujita's long strides. She wasn't able to tell with him sitting down, nor during the time that she was more focused on getting to her class, but Fujita was _tall._ Or as he put it, "180 centimeters and still growing!" It was no wonder he liked basketball.

"Why aren't they coming for you?" Fujita grins, opening his arms.

"I could always give you a piggyback ri—"

"Oh, there's the basketball team."

"For real!? Yes! Where is it?" Fujita looks around frantically, practically heaving with excitement, before he notices that the club Kotomi had pointed to was, in fact, the Chess Club. When he turns back to tease his friend about her poor vision, he notices that his small friend was missing. "Fujisaki-chan? Oh no, I've lost her!" He turns to the nearest person he could find, shouting much louder than is necessary. "Excuse me! Have you seen a small Japanese British girl!?"

Kotomi snickers as she could still hear Fujita's voice several feet away, having blended in with a group of girls heading for the soccer team to slip away. Her friend brought out her penchant for mischief, only because she found it as fun to tease him as he did with her. However, she would make it up to him by finding the basketball team, right after she joined the kendo team. Luckily, it was much closer than she thought it would be, breaking off from her fake entourage to walk towards the group of young men and women at the booth.

"Teiko's basketball team! Come join the club for champions!" Kotomi's head swiveled around at the sound of this, her eyes wide in shock. _Oh, I suppose it was closer than I originally thought…_

"I'll tell Fujita-kun after I…" Kotomi stops walking, earning herself confused looks from the people behind her as they move past her to continue while she stares at her feet. Why was it that people were so passionate about basketball? What's so great about it, anyway? What could be fun about it? Why did her brothers enjoy it so much? Why would anyone want to join the basketball club? Why would she-

"Are you alright?" Her head shoots up as she looks up, finding herself staring at an upperclassman with dark hair and silvery blue eyes. He seems shocked when her eyes pop up to meet his, but his teammates seem even more shocked; small pink flushes graced their faces, including the captain, though his is less pronounced.

" **Oh, I'm sorry, I…I was…"** The student sitting in the middle furrows his brows, tilting his head, while his teammates seem to panic, just a little.

" **Sorry..we…our English is…"** The student struggles with his words a little, though his English is pretty clear.

"No, I speak Japanese! It's okay. Sorry." What was she doing? Why was she here? Curses, her feet must have carried her here.

"Oh, that's a relief. Alright, well, were you looking to apply for a manager position? We're recruiting managers as well. I'm Nijimura, Teiko's captain." The captain smiles and offers her a manager's form, which Kotomi takes out of sheer shock of her situation.

"Oh, thank you, but I…"

"You can just bring it back at our try-outs if you have to go. We'll need help with the technical stuff, so dress comfortably. Once you're officially on the team, you'll get a jersey."

"I—"

"Fujisaki-chan!" Fujita comes bounding in on his legs, and the captain and his teammates become suddenly more interested in this tall, promising newcomer. "You just left me behind!" Without another word, Kotomi darts away, clutching the application form to her chest. Her friend almost follows but is stopped by Nijimura.

"Hey, you aren't bothering her, right?"

"What!? No! She's my friend! I lost her in the crowd. I guess she's just overwhelmed and wanted to get out quickly. It's her first time in Japan in a while." The three basketball players look at each other, the two standing behind Nijimura seeming to get excited at the prospect.

"She was crazy cute! And she speaks English!"

"A total cutie! You her boyfriend, or something?" Fujita turns completely red, shaking his head and waving his hands frantically.

"N-no, no, no way! We sat next to each other at opening ceremony! We just met! I've just been showing her around!" Nijimura suddenly stands and whacks his team members on the head, causing Fujita to cringe in sympathy. He's definitely felt that before.

"Quit making him uncomfortable! We don't scare away recruits!" Fujita cringed again at his yelling. This captain looked scary…

"Expected of Teiko…everything about this school is intimidating."

* * *

Kotomi searches for the nearest trash can, planning to throw away her form before she can have second thoughts. She wasn't interested. She just didn't know how to process everything around her. She shouldn't have walked ahead of Fujita. When she finally finds a recycling bin, Kotomi is just about crumple up the form before she stops herself, staring at the blank lines and the katakana spelling "Basketball" in the corner. She bites her lip. It wasn't as if she was clueless about basketball, but she didn't have a healthy relationship with it. It wasn't far off to say she hated basketball. Not because of any technical reason, or for a bitterness left behind for a team she bet on to win, no.

"A stupid sport tore my family apart…" It burned her lips to even speak this truth no one else knew of, knowing that the crowd wouldn't notice her.

"Excuse me?" Kotomi doesn't jump this time, though she does inhale sharply, turning around to face whoever was addressing her. She snaps out of her deep thoughts when she recognizes the crimson red irises of her classmate.

"Oh, yes?"

"Fujisaki…san, wasn't it? You're in my homeroom."

"Oh, yes. Akashi-san isn't it?" The young man smiles charmingly. It was the smile of a practiced socialite, and somehow it unnerved Kotomi that she was reminded of herself looking at him.

"That's right. Thank you for remembering me." Kotomi laughs a little at this. What an odd thing to say to a stranger. "I was just wondering where you got that form." He gestures to the form in her hands.

"Oh, just past the cooking club, there's still a boy with dyed blonde hair there. He's very hard to miss at the booth."

"I see, thank you very much…are you going to be a manager?"

"I haven't decided yet." _Wasn't she going to throw it away?_

"I see, well, I hope to see you there. I would like to get to know a fellow classmate better." Kotomi nods, smiling softly.

"Well then, perhaps I'll have to come just to see you again." Akashi looks quite surprised at this bold statement, and in all honesty, while it was in part just lip service there was some truth to it. He came from a similar world. It would be beneficial to build connections, and pleasant to be able to relate to someone. From what her grandfather told her, the Akashi family was quite strict, and she knew a thing or two about that. Akashi's surprise turns to another smile, though there's something warmer about.

"I hope that you do." And with that, he was gone, disappearing into the crowd. Kotomi glances down at her application again, taking a deep breath and folding up the paper, putting it away into her purse before she decides to return to the kendo booth. She might as well pick up the form as well, just in case. Besides, she left Fujita back at the booth…

 _Bump._

"Owch…" Kotomi grabs her shoulder when she feels something hit her arm, looking to the side the sudden assault came from.

"Sorry…" A young man with powder blue eyes and hair to match, as well as a youthful baby face, stops briefly to look at her. She stares right back at him, a little shocked. Oddly enough, there was something similar registering in his empty stare, as if he was surprised to see her. "Are you alright?" Kotomi rubs her shoulder and shrugs. She simply waves away his apology, nodding politely before continuing on her way, though he seems to follow behind her, though he was just probably moving in the same direction.

"Fujisaki-chan!" Fujita finally catches up with her, stopping her as he waves a basketball club flier in her face excitedly. "The captain just told me! You're thinking about being a manager? You know about basketball? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm still not sure yet, silly. I'm not very passionate about basketball."

"Ehh!? But basketball is so cool!" Fujita scoffs, but then brightens. "Well, you'll just have to join and see exactly what I'm talking about, won't you?" Kotomi giggles, looking up at him, though still uncertain. Fujita had his own flow about him, it was hard not to get sucked in. She liked that about him.

"Well now, when you say it like that, I'll have to give it a try at least, right?"

"Great! Let's fill them out right here and turn them in, alright?"

"Right!"

"…Do you have a pen?"

Kotomi falls back onto her bed, still sweating from her dance practice. Once school picked up pace, she would only be assistant instructing and dancing on the weekends, just as she promised her grandfather. He cared more about her enjoying her adolescence than his wife, but he still thought school was important. But it was still more than she could ask for, considering her position. Thinking back on the last few days, Kotomi can't help but smiling. Fujita made her lunch and her breaks endlessly fun. He was so energetic, he reminded her so much of one of her best friends, Nissa.

Then there were the two interesting boys in her class. Akashi Seijuro and the green haired boy. There was something about them that intrigued her. She wondered what kind of people she'd be meeting in Japan, and she has yet to be disappointed. The only thing plaguing her now was…her eyes travel over to her bag, which contained the basketball club's try-out information. She had already turned in her application form, but she had to come to the try outs anyway. If only to see if the Teiko team really was as formidable as Fujita claimed.

"Curiouser and curiouser, Alice cried…"

* * *

Try Out Day

"Welcome to the Teiko basketball team try outs!" Kotomi hurries inside, slipping off her outdoor shoes and changing into her gymnasium shoes. Madoka had done her laundry for her last night, but had forgotten to dry her hoodie and leggings, which Kotomi had to dry herself, making her late to the try-outs. Fujita was already in the line-up, spotting Kotomi first and waving excitedly to her, grinning in a way that lightened Kotomi's slightly dampened mood. There was already a small group of people bustling around with towels and water bottles, and she felt guilty for coming in so late.

"Hey!" Captain Nijimura approached her with a friendly smile. Despite Fujita's likely exaggerated description of the third year, he didn't seem at all intimidating.

"Hello, I'm so sorry I'm late. I look forward to working with you." Kotomi bows slightly to him, remembering that Ichiro reminded her of the respect hierarchy of senpai and kouhai.

"It's no trouble at all. In fact, you came at the perfect time," Nijimura hands Kotomi a clipboard with a list of names, belonging to those trying out, Kotomi could only assume. "You can help you by helping Momoi-san keep track of those trying out. Just how many layups they're getting and the number of side jumps, it's listed there what you need to record. You can handle that, right?"

"Yes, of course." Kotomi brandishes her pen and begins to walk to the benches as the captain calls for the players to attention. The first thing she notices is a tall boy with purple hair, yawning with a sleepy look in his eyes.

 _He's taller than Fujita…so as long as he doesn't trip over himself…he's likely guaranteed a spot, isn't that right?_ Kotomi seems to ask no one in her head before she turns her attention back to the benches.

She meets with a cute pink-haired girl with a clipboard of her own. She looks up and smiles brightly at her, which Kotomi returns with a soft, polite smile of her own before she sits down.

"Hello!"

"Hello…my name is Fujisaki Kotomi."

"Ah, then I'm Momoi Satsuki! Is this your first time being a manager?"

"You could tell…?"

"No, Fujita-san was talking to us about you earlier."

"Us…?"

"Ah, my friend is trying out today, too." She points to a tanned young man with dark blue hair and eyes, who is chatting with Fujita.

"Ah, I see. Well, best of luck to the both of them, right?" Momoi giggles.

"Oh, I don't think Dai-chan needs much luck…"

"Dai-chan…?" _What an odd name…_ Perhaps a lot has changed since she was last in Japan.

"Anyway, the group will be split into two, so I'll take care of the left side, you take care of the right. They're standing in alphabetical order, so just move down the lower half starting at M, sound good?"

"Understood."

"Mou, Fujisaki-chan, you speak so formally, it's cute!" Kotomi can only offer a small smile. She couldn't remember a time that she didn't speak formally, so for her it was normal.

Kotomi's thoughts are interrupted when she spots a several familiar faces as they pass her, the large group broken down into two groups at each end of the court, lining up for some light warm-up layups. Akashi Seijuro, the green haired boy from her homeroom, whose name she gathered was Midorima Shintaro. She recognized the family name as a doctor's, though her family hasn't had contact with anyone sharing the last name.

On the other side of the court, Fujita and this "Dai-chan" that Momoi spoke of. Kotomi's eyes scan over all of them, her mind already working as her hands to move down the line every time she saw someone make a basket. She watches their form very closely. She had done some research and using what she remembered from learning from her brothers' training, she wrote down in the margins by their names some notes, only to keep her mind stimulated.

 _Maeda: slow to turn on his left foot. Expect slower side jumps when he's jumping to the left._

 _Tanaka: broad shoulders, and he is not afraid of fouling. He would be good at screening, perhaps rebounding. Jump is powerful, too._

 _Midorima: has a good sense of distance. His layups are a little farther out than everyone else's, but he is just as accurate._

 _Akashi: form is perfect. No hesitation. Potential star player._

 _Ueda: hops a little extra right before a layup. He should work on concealing that, or he might give himself away during a match._

Kotomi is so caught up in her self-assigned homework that she fails to notice Momoi glancing down, eyes widening at how much she was observing after just a few layups and how she was multitasking so well. And neither girl notices the eyes fixating on the both of them, for a number of different reasons.

* * *

After several warm ups and basic drills, Kotomi looks down and realizes just how much she's written, practically covering the margins. She puffs her cheeks out in annoyance towards herself, unable to erase it, since she wrote in pen.

"What should I do…? Surely this is overstepping boundaries…"

"You sure wrote quite a lot, Fujisaki-chan. Do you do that a lot in school?"

"Well, during my supplemental lessons with my tutors, yes, but grandmother scolds me on it. I see why now…this paper is a mess. I'll just rerecord the numbers on another form."

"…. Fujisaki-chan, are you a fugitive princess, or something?"

"Eh!? Why do you ask?" Kotomi looks to Momoi incredulously, who's somewhere in between a laugh and shock.

"Oh, no reason! Rewrite the paper after we give out water and towels, alright?" The both of them set their clipboards down, moving to the center of the gym, where the other managers have set out water bottle holders and a fresh set of towels. Fujita is the first to approach Kotomi, sweaty but excited.

"Fujisaki-chan! Isn't this great? Aren't I playing so well?"

"Your layups are very good, but you shouldn't waste energy and time on bouncing so much in the center during your side jumps. Also, you might be able to dunk more cleanly if you started a little closer to the net."

"Ah—!? You're supposed to cheer me on!"

"I am, but I want you to do your best as well. You'll have to do better for first string."

"You say it so matter of fact that I can't even be upset…" Fujita whines, taking a long drink from the water bottle. "I don't know if you're an angel or some kind of demon in disguise…"

"Right now, I'm a manager giving out water bottles," Kotomi giggles, picking up another set and handing it to another player, who is staring directly at her, though her attention is averted elsewhere. "So, sit down and breathe, alright? They're going to hold practice matches next." Fujita offers her a 2 fingered salute, grinning wide and heading to the benches. Kotomi is reaching down to prepare another water bottle and towel, coming face to face with none other than Akashi Seijuro once more.

"Fujisaki-san, we seem to keep running into each other. I'm glad you came to help the team out."

"I thought something new would stimulate me more than if were to just continue with what I'm used to. Besides, your form is quite lovely, Akashi-san. Though I am not an expert in basketball."

"Really? From what you were telling your friend," There's genuine surprise in Akashi's voice. "you seem quite versed in the subject at hand."

"Ah, well, my…family likes basketball, and I did some light research. It's much more strategic than I thought it was. It's quite enjoyable." Akashi's eyes seem to light up a little when she says this, but his smile only grows.

"How insightful. I would like to hear more another time, if you'll allow it."

"I don't see why not. But for now, please rest well." She bows a little to him. Akashi returns the bow and retreats to the benches as well. Not long after, Kotomi looks up again to see Midorima, his free hand out for the towel and water bottle, the other occupied by a sock monkey plush. Kotomi hands him his well-earned reward with a friendly smile, though the gesture remains unreturned.

"Good work out there. I hope your little friend enjoyed watching you all play as much as I did." Midorima scoffs, turning his away from her.

"My Lucky Item is not a friend. I got it from Oha-Asa—"

"Fujisaki-san, could you get more water bottles from the locker room?"

"Ah, yes!" Kotomi turns to him with a smile. "Sorry to interrupt you, but I'd like to know more sometime? We can talk more about Oha-Asa again. It sounds interesting." She hurries off, not wanting to keep any of the players waiting. Fujita runs up to grab a towel for another player, though he bumps into Midorima's back on the way up.

"Whoa! Sorry, dude! Uh, you okay…" Midorima finally snaps out of his trance and turns to glare at Fujita, though the bright red across his cheeks hardly made him any kind of intimidating presence.

"Watch where you're going—!"

"Gah! I-I'm sorry!"

* * *

On her way out, Kotomi spots yet another familiar face by the bathroom. It was the powder blue haired boy she had bumped into. She only recognized him because she almost overlooked him again, only noticing him because he was heaving, his head hanging low his entire body moving with the effort of his breathing. Kotomi picks up a water bottle from its holder, approaching him.

"Ah, you should take a deep breath in and out with your nose, slowly as possible. You should close your eyes, as well." The young man looks up at her, then nods, taking a deep breath as instructed and closing her eyes. Kotomi stands beside him and pats his back, handing him the water bottle. "Try not to throw up, or you'll lose some of your energy. And don't sit down until the spinning stops."

"Thank you very much…" He glances up at her, still seeming worn, but better than he looked a minute ago.

"Perhaps you should go to the nurse or take a break. It doesn't seem like it's healthy for you to—"

"No, that's alright. I'll keep going." He stands up completely, turning away from her. "I saw you at the club fair…"

"Oh, yes. I remember you too."

"…I see. You're going to be a manager?"

"…Well…I haven't quite decided on whether or not I'm going to stay." He glances back at her, and for a moment both their gazes are quite intense. Kotomi had never met a teenager this stoic before. It was throwing her off.

"I think you should. It might be good for you. Thank you again for your help." That throws Kotomi off completely now. 'Good for her?' What was that supposed to mean? It almost offends her that he would say something like that so bluntly.

"I see." Is all she can say. The boy bows to her again before returning to the court, and Kotomi is left for a few seconds to ponder what in the world just happened. Kotomi thought herself a master of conversation, despite her young age. Her grandmother demanded it. She knew exactly how to turn a conversation to her favor, but for once in her 13 years of life, she is left speechless by a boy who was just about a few seconds from throwing up on the gymnasium floor before she approached him.

"…Pffft," Kotomi covers her mouth, holding back her giggle, which was quickly bubbling over into a laugh. What an interesting person…

"Fujisaki-san?" Kotomi turns around to face the voice of Nijimura, who looks confused. "Something wrong?"

"Oh, no, sorry, I just remembered something quite funny, is all…can I help with something? I'm coming back with the water now, and then I have to redo the stats from try-outs—"

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Nijimura holds up the clipboard she had left earlier, containing all her margin notes about every player, and Kotomi can feel the tips of her ears turn red with shame. "These are your notes, right?"

"Yes, captain. I'm sorry, I suppose I got carried away. I was going to rewrite the data on a clean sheet of paper and I can throw—"

"Actually, I wanted you to head up to the rafters with the head coach and relay what you're seeing to him," He's still looking at the paper, so he doesn't see Kotomi's bewildered face. "What you wrote here is really interesting. I want him to hear what you have to say." Kotomi recovers as quickly as she can manage, nodding eagerly.

"I'll do just that, then." She bows to him and hurries up to the higher levels, looking around for this head coach. Supposed she should have asked for a name or a description…?

"Fujisaki-san was it?" An elderly man with slicked back, graying hair in a suit approaches Kotomi, hands folded politely behind his back as he smiles amicably at her, though there's more than just amicability. His expression seemed one of intrigue. He was going to test her. Kotomi bows politely. "Shirogane, I'm Teiko's head coach. A pleasure. I've been watching you."

"Me, sir?"

"The players all seem to have just a little more energy after interacting with you. Perhaps your presence refreshes them. And more importantly, Nijimura showed me your notes on the players. I'd like to hear more of what you're thinking…" He walks up to the rails and looks down as the first practice game begins.

"Just…talk…?"

"That's correct. I'll give you my thoughts when the matches are done."

 _That's over 50 minutes…_ Kotomi can't contain her smile. An interesting challenge issued by an interesting man about a group of interesting people. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she nods excitedly.

"Number 13 is dribbling more with his right hand than it's left. He'll rarely go left, otherwise he's too open to his opponents. He might be a fan of feints, since his opponents don't know that." As she's saying this, the boy wearing the 13 jersey fakes going left before breaking into a sprint to the right, dribbling with his right hand.

"I see, keep going."

"Number 7 passed to number 9, just now, even though number 27 was open and easier to access. Number 7 and number 9 likely know each other to some capacity, and they trust each other. They will pass to each other." Kotomi's eyes drift over to a familiar head of crimson red, watching him closely. Akashi's movements are so graceful, as if he were gliding and the ball was a marionette, string attached to his hand. But she notices how the coach is watching Akashi closely, and she knows she doesn't need to say anything to convince him he was worthy of being on the team.

"Do you like basketball, Fujisaki-san?" Kotomi pauses, gauging how she should answer such a question. With a man like this, she shouldn't lie. In this case, honesty is the best policy.

"No. Actually, I quite dislike it. To answer your question of why I'm here, I'm not too sure, myself. Perhaps I hope to find my answer. But…I see a lot of potential for practicing strategy. And I enjoy the challenge of…well…"

"Moving the pieces around?" Kotomi looks up at him, eyes wide. She wasn't going to say that, but it was more accurate in his words.

"Yes, something like that."

"There is nothing to be ashamed of. It's not uncommon for someone to want an answer for their feelings, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to learn something from a new experience. There's no need to be so tense around me. I understand that winner's mentality very well. That is precisely why I take this club so seriously. I aim to win." Coach Shirogane places his hands behind his back once again, smiling at Kotomi. "That's why I think you should be a manager and a strategist for the second and third strings." Kotomi's mouth falls upon, unable to contain her absolute confusion in what this strange man was telling her.

"E-Eh….? But, isn't a manager just a manager who gets the towels, water bottles, takes statistics…?"

"Managers support the team in any way they're able. Every member of the team, from the coach, to the players to the managers play a pivotal role as part of a well-oiled machine. And some parts are bigger than others. I cannot tell you if you'll find the answer to the question you're looking for, but I can tell you that you might not ever find it here if you give up."

If Kotomi could see herself now, she would be embarrassed by how brightly her eyes shone. There was a blooming warmth in her chest, one she hadn't felt in such a long time. Respect…? Genuine, complete and utter respect for this man she's known not even for 20 minutes. All because he seemed to understand her thoughts completely. Kotomi's cheeks hurt from smiling so much as Shirogane turns to her, still smiling his serene smile, as if he knew this conclusion would come to pass. "Well, Fujisaki-san? Will you take the position?" Kotomi straightens her back and bows low at the waist, speaking loudly and clearly so he could hear her.

"Yes, sir! I look forward to working with you!"

* * *

 **Please leave a review!**

 **Love, Silky**


	3. Fate's Chance Encounters

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or its characters, all the content belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki, and published by Shueisha. I do not make any profit on this, and I only own my characters. Please support the official release.**

"I will now be announcing the players in the third string." Kotomi helps clean up the gym while listening to the results, trying to remain within ear shot. She could see Fujita almost vibrating in place with excitement. From what she saw of his performance, she would say that he would most certainly be in second string, and perhaps with practice and dedication, he would make it into first.

"Kuroko Tetsuya." Kotomi perks up a little when she sees the power blue haired boy walk over to the third string's coach. In all honesty, that was a surprise to her. He gave it his all, but that's all that could really be said about him. He wasn't, in any sense of the word, fit for basketball. Deserving? Perhaps, for he seemed like a hard worker, but deserving meant nothing in a world of competition. He seems quite disappointed, and Kotomi feels a pang of sympathy for him, and yet she firmly believes he was lucky to even make third string.

"I will now announce the second string." Kotomi isn't surprised when she hears Fujita's name called, though she is surprised when she hears him shout.

"Yes! First string, here I come! Hear that, Fujisaki-chan!?" Kotomi's hand meets her face as she tries to pretend she can't hear him, staring at the ground and pretending that she's sweeping away a particularly stubborn dust ball. She breathes a soft sigh of relief, though she can't help the small turn of her lips when one of the coaches scolds him, telling him to calm down and hurry up. She hears Momoi giggling too, which doesn't help her trying to contain her own giggles.

"And now for the first string." This time, Kotomi's head pops up all the way, eyes wide. She wasn't too informed on Teiko's basketball history, but she knew from her brief chats with Momoi that first string was almost impossible for first years.

"Akashi Seijuro. Aomine Daiki. Midorima Shintaro. Murasakibara Atsushi." The strange, multi-colored hair crew of first years standing before them had outshined every other player on the court to be sure, but Kotomi could not hide her awe, standing at staring at all of them, a big smile spreading across her lips while her eyes shined with intrigue.

 _If these players were to be on court together, who knows what they could accomplish?_ But her smile fades seconds later when she realizes that she was to be the manager for the second and third strings. Her grandmother would be furious, she could already see it. Lady Cordelia Reinwalt is not the type for a petty phone call to the school, but she would push Kotomi endlessly to become first string's manager to be sure by any means necessary, even subterfuge. There was a fine line in her grandmother's morality, and Kotomi was still trying to figure out exactly where that line was drawn.

"A product of your bloodline is not accidentally second in any sense of the word." She would say. Technically, she wasn't _assigned_ to be a manager for any team, but coach Shirogane made it perfectly clear about where she would be spending most of her time, and the second and third string teams did not practice in the same gymnasiums, so unfortunately she wouldn't be able to see them play. It isn't as if her grandmother would find out anytime soon, but hopefully if she performed well enough, she could work more closely with the first string. Just another challenge to stimulate her.

"Ahh, it's over, it's over!" Fujita stretches hard as he's walking out, Kotomi walking beside him. "If try outs were that brutal, practice is going suuuck!"

"You're excited about it though, Fujita-kun."

"Yeah I am! I mean, I was really hoping for first string, but I think when my success story is on the news after I've gone pro, the story of my struggles will be more dramatic, this way!" Kotomi giggles, covering her mouth.

"Ah, yes, of course. I can't wait to be the best friend who always believed in him," She puts a hand against her forehead. "Watching him grow was such an inspiration!" Her friend laughs.

"I think I'll record that and keep it for my children to watch!" Kotomi rolls her eyes and laughs again. "Anyway, you want to hit up a convenience store or something? Let's get some ice cream."

"Oh, I actually have to head home and pack for the weekend. I'm going to visit my grandparents."

"Your master Kendo fighter grandpa? Can you talk to him for my brother!?"

"I said I would, didn't I?" Kotomi glances up at him with a smile. Fujita fist pumps, hopping up and down excitedly.

"My brother is going to freak!"

"Ehehe, you're like a kid like this, Fujita-kun."

"W-Wha…? I'm older than you! Hey, don't laugh!" Fujita tries to give Kotomi a light shove with his shoulder, which she effectively dodges, still giggling, while a pair of crimson eyes watches Kotomi's back from the entrance of the gymnasium.

If there was one thing Kotomi remembered most vividly about Japan, it was the cherry blossoms. They seemed brighter in Kyoto, at least to her. Perhaps the picnics with her family, happier times in her life, gave her rose-colored visions of the blossoms, who were approaching the end of their short lifespan in full bloom. Her grandparents' estate rested in the more rural areas of Kyoto. Her family's history could be traced all the way back to the feudal period, her ancestors holding noble status, and therefore her family owned a lot of land in those areas. As she watches out the window of the car, driven by Suoh, her grandparents' driver, she takes solace in the quiet of the countryside, though she had quickly grown fond of the bustle of Tokyo's insomniac streets.

"We've arrived, Fujisaki-ojou." Kotomi reaches for her bags after she's exiting the car, though Suoh beats her to the punch, picking up the luggage.

 _Ah, that's right, I'm a lady again. Everything gets done for me,_ she muses with a slightly bored expression. It was back to the usual, at least for this weekend. As she's approaching the front of the estate, Kotomi pats down skirt and fixes her hair. Her father's grandparents were by no means anywhere as strict as her grandmother, but not as loving and accepting as her grandfather. They were distant, but they loved her. And she reciprocated those feelings. Kotomi straightens up as the door opens, revealing a lovely older woman, dark hair tied neatly into a bun, and warm brown irises with some wrinkles on the skin of her eyes, though her face was still quite youthful and even pretty for 75 years old.

"Kotomi, welcome back."

"Thank you, _Sobo-sama_ , I'm home." Kotomi removes her shoes and immediately slips her indoor shoes on as she's walking in. Her grandmother places a gentle, guiding hand around her shoulder, the most affectionate her grandmother gets, and leads her to the main room where an older man sat with a book open in front of him. While he looked more his age, with grayed hair and a stern, wrinkled face, whispers of a handsome youth ghosted over his features. He looks up at Kotomi, nodding to her once. Kotomi's eyes wander over to the two _bokken,_ wooden swords shaped like _katana,_ sitting in the corner.

" _Sofu-sama,_ it pleases me to see you in good health." The elder man nods, returning to his book.

"Suoh will place your things in your room, why don't you sit and have some tea?"

"Thank you, I will." A young woman with kind eyes and a messy bun hurries in, pouring some tea for the three of them. Ito Hanako, the adult daughter of Kotomi's caretaker and Kotomi's grandparents' head maid growing up, when all the adults in her life were busy. The young woman, who was even a playmate of Kotomi's for a time, smiles up her politely, though even she has a distance about her.

"Welcome back, Ojou-sama." Kotomi smiles politely and nods.

"Thank you, Ito-san." There is a silence so suffocating that any stranger unaccustomed to the rigidity of the Fujisakis would be inching for the door as Ito pours the tea, leaving them with some snacks before bowing and disappearing. Kotomi's grandmother sips at her tea for a long moment before turning to Kotomi.

"How is Teiko? Are you adjusting well?"

"Well enough. Nothing has challenged me quite yet."

"I heard that Akashi Masaomi's son is attending."

"Yes, he's in my homeroom. Along with a…Midorima?" Her grandfather grunts softly, nodding and turning a page in his book.

"The Midorima family owns a few hospitals, one in Kyoto, as well. They treated one of my students. They are…effective." Kotomi almost feels compelled to tell Midorima this. Such a statement from her grandfather was considered the highest praise.

"I see. Speaking of your students, _Sofu-sama,_ I met a fellow classmate whose brother practices kendo. He wants to be a student of yours." Her grandfather seems uninterested, not even glancing up.

"Did you two meet at the kendo team?" Kotomi's heart skips a beat. Should she mention that she didn't join the kendo club? They didn't particularly like her grandmother in England, so they wouldn't report it, but she knew how they felt about basketball. Her grandmother seems to sense her apprehension, as she sets her tea cup down, folding her hands politely in her lap.

"Is there something you would like to tell us, granddaughter?" Ah, there it was. No backing out now. A lie now would only dig her deeper into this hole she's made for herself.

"I…didn't join the kendo club." Two pairs of brown eyes are suddenly on her. "I joined…the basketball team. As a manager." Kotomi suddenly wants to run for the door in the silence that ensues. This tension was too much, even for her. It's almost a relief when her grandfather finally speaks, even if she knows his tone is not a happy one.

"I know you realize why we would disapprove of this."

"Do your mother's parents know of this?"

"Not yet…"

"But you didn't plan on telling her." Kotomi flinches when she hears her grandfather's book close.

"It won't get in the way of my studies. The head coach wants me to be a strategist, I'm not just getting water bottles or towels." This seems to appease them, if only a little.

"I thought you hated basketball."

"I…dislike the actions my brothers took because of their passion for it. But I have no passion for it. I have you, _Sofu-sama,_ to challenge me in kendo. And _Sobo-sama_ teaches me the arts far better than any instructor at Teiko can. I wanted something new to challenge me. It's…boring, otherwise. I want to start distinguishing what is a waste of my talents and what isn't. I can't let people keep doing it for me." _In other words,_ Kotomi pleads in her head, _please, please don't tell Grandmother Cordelia._

"Well, when you reason like that…"

"We can very well let you decide for yourself what is a waste and what is not."

"And this news will not leave the confines of Japan." Her grandmother finishes, nodding in approval. Kotomi visibly relaxes when she hears this, taking a deep, shaky breath. Her grandfather stands up, picking up the _bokken_ lying in the corner, and tossing one to her.

"As for your friend, I will consider giving his brother a test, if you can best me in a quick match." Kotomi stands, nodding once, relieved that her grandparents were more understanding, if not more lenient. Now, to win Fujita's brother that audience…

Kotomi flinches when she picks up the book with her bruised hand, almost dropping it with how she flinches. She narrowly won against her grandfather, but she didn't come out unscathed. While he would never advise his students to practice without the protective gear for legal reasons, as his granddaughter, Kotomi was a special exception. He wasn't teaching her only for sport, though he did enjoy watching her improve and best him.

In his eyes, pain is not nearly as frightening as the impending threat of pain. He had Kotomi spar without gear, so that she would not be afraid of being struck wearing the gear. It was his strict way of showing concern, that Kotomi understood, though that didn't mean she enjoyed it. Kotomi nurses her bruised wrist as she looks among the sports section, surprised that the selection on basketball was so small. It was a small bookstore, and she didn't want to wait for ordering a book, nor did she want to send Suoh out to get it for her. Kotomi spots a regulation book on professional basketball, deciding it was the closest she would get, reaching for it. She's shocked, however, when a slightly longer arm reaches her destination first, plucking the book from the shelf.

"Fujisaki-san?" Kotomi turns around to face the newcomer, quite surprised to see Akashi Seijuro all the way out here in a small town in Kyoto.

"Akashi-san? What are you doing here?"

"Ah, I accompanied my father who has some business to take care of in the city. I decided on the way that I wanted some new reading material for the rest of the trip back and stopped by here to pick up a book to read on the way back to Tokyo." He smiles handsomely at her, and Kotomi notices a book in his other hand, though she can't read the title from here. "Strange how we always seem to meet with each other."

"I agree. Oh, thank you for the help." Though she didn't necessarily need it, Kotomi pouts to herself. She almost had it. Akashi hands her the book, which she takes and tucks under her arm for safekeeping. "Congratulations, by the way. Making first string in your first year, it's quite impressive." Akashi chuckles, waving it off nonchalantly.

"Thank you, but it was expected of me." Ah, well, that's a sentiment she could relate to. Success for people like herself and Akashi, it was supposed to come as naturally as breathing, though she had her close calls. "But your friend Fujita was quite interesting. He's loud, isn't he? It's a little strange to see him with someone like you." Kotomi tilts her head.

"Like me…?'

"Ah, no, sorry. That wasn't meant to be a slight."

"I didn't think so, I just don't know what you mean."

"Well, you seem quiet, and he has a lot of energy." Kotomi laughs just remembering how he was scolded right after making the team, having to cover her mouth with her free hand. Akashi's polite smile fades when he notices the bruise, an ugly discoloration of blue and purple in comparison to her otherwise pale and flawless skin.

"He is, but I quite enjoy that about him. It's refreshing to see someone, well, who's...not like me." That doesn't sit well with Akashi, but he plays it off, suddenly now more interested in Kotomi's wrist.

"What happened to you?"

"Hm?"

"Your wrist…that's quite an ugly mark." Kotomi blinks several times. Ugly…?

"Oh, it's just a mark from sparring. My grandfather asked me to practice with him." Akashi relaxes a little, though he expected that someone of her background couldn't have been assaulted with malicious intention without any kind of backlash.

"Ah yes, he's a martial arts instructor, is he not?"

"You've heard of my grandfather?" This time Akashi blinks, as if he wasn't sure if she was joking or not.

"Oh, course I know of him. It's difficult to find anyone who doesn't at least recognize the Fujisaki name."

"Right, my apologies. I recognized you too, but I wasn't sure if you recognized me."

"Well, you, per se, but your name, I did. I apologize for not introducing myself properly in class. I've been trying to keep a low profile, and my father is making it difficult."

"Is that so?"

"I had to instruct my driver to drop me off before the school gates for the first week of school. I was sure to be harassed if people saw me being dropped off like a child like that." Kotomi laughs, and Akashi is surprised that she understood his joking tone, though it doesn't register externally. "Anyway, Fujisaki-san, I was wondering, if your grandfather is a martial arts instructor, why not join kendo? Why the basketball team, where you can't compete?" Kotomi seems unprepared for this question, seeming to purse her lips and think on it, on what she should tell him.

"I…joined the basketball team on a whim. Life has been rather boring for me, lately. I was hoping that a more passive role would give me a chance to hone some skills I don't get to sharpen often." Kotomi feels some pride when she sees the approval in Akashi's smile, hoping that would be the end of his questioning.

"A win is not as satisfying if it's easy, isn't that right?"

"Exactly." Akashi chuckles just a bit.

"I for one am not complaining. I think you're good for morale."

 _Just like Coach Shirogane said…_

"You have a presence about you that draws people in. It intrigues people, including myself. That's why I'm glad you're here, and I look forward to working with you." Kotomi bows at this, nodding her head towards him.

"I look forward to working with you." Kotomi looks up and spots a man at the entrance of the book store, nodding towards Akashi, who nods in return.

"I'm afraid I must be going…ah, would it be presumptuous of me to ask for your e-mail? Since we'll be in contact with each other every now and again, I'd like to make good on that promise to get to know a fellow classmate, and teammate, better." Without waiting for a response, Akashi is pulling out his phone, and Kotomi follows suit.

"Of course. I look forward to seeing what you'll accomplish in the future." Akashi smiles at her.

"Well, I can't disappoint now, can I?"

As Akashi steps into his car, glancing out the tinted windows to watch the raven-heard teen walk over to the register to pay for her book, he can't help but smile a little. It truly was a coincidence that he was driving through this rural area, but he can't help but feel that something bigger was at play upon meeting her. It was the same feeling he got looking at the other first years who made first string. Akashi chuckles to himself, watching as his car starts and Kotomi steps out, new book in hand, continuing down the street.

"This is bound to be quite an interesting 3 years…"

When the school week comes again, Kotomi finds herself on her phone more and more often than she ever had before. She had been in constant contact with Akashi all weekend, though there were long pauses between exchanges, considering how busy he was, and she was also taking the time to chat with Fujita. Akashi seemed as busy as she would be in England, following his father and his supplemental courses. It was strange that Kotomi almost missed that bustle from place to place, from instructor to instructor.

Though, she enjoyed being able to leisure and rest in between studying, practice, and dancing. They talked about things she didn't get to discuss with people her age often. Literature, music, anything under the sun. It seemed as if Akashi didn't have the same exposure to pop culture as Kotomi did, thanks to her time at the dance studio with Madoka. He claimed that he enjoyed reading about her explanations of "memes" and music, and Kotomi urged him to check some out. Fujita has been waiting with baited breath since he heard that Akashi Seijurou might potentially start sending her memes, looking over her shoulder whenever she's on her phone, especially at lunch time.

"Do you think that he'll understand what 'shit-posting' is?" Kotomi brushes the bread crumbs from Fujita's sandwich off her shoulder, glaring slightly up at him.

"I haven't explained it to him, yet."

"Let me do it. I feel like you don't get it either."

"I'm going to take that sandwich from you if you don't stop." Fujita takes several steps back hugging his sandwich to his chest.

"Don't you dare, Fujisaki." Kotomi snickers a little, taking a bite of the bento Ito prepared for her.

"My, using no honorifics? Are we that familiar already?"

"If you try to take my sandwich, you're an enemy. Enemies don't get honorifics."

"Okay, okay, please forgive me, Mr. Second String."

"Hey, that stings." The door to the rooftop opens, revealing Akashi, who scans the horizon of the rooftop, his eyes finally falling on Kotomi and Fujita, though he's more interested in the former.

"Fujisaki-san, good afternoon. I brought my shogi board, and I was wondering if you wanted to play few rounds with me."

"Oh, that sounds fun." Fujita glances at Kotomi with furrowed brows.

"It does?"

"Fujita-san, was it? You're welcome to join us. Loser gets replaced by whoever's waiting for a turn."

"Gee, as fun as that sounds…I gotta…do…do something. You go on, Kotomi."

"Are you sure, Fujita-kun?"

"Positive. You guys have fun," Fujita leans in and whispers in Kotomi's ear. "but find out if he knows the "boneless pizza" meme."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that, and I'll see you at practice, Fujita-kun."

"Fair enough. See you later!" He runs off without another word, passing Akashi as he heads down. Akashi smiles politely at Kotomi as she stands up, putting her empty bento away and following him down the stairs.

As Fujita bounds down the last staircase leading back into the school building, he slows down, his hand stopping on the doorknob. "Hang on…?"

"How did Akashi figure out where we were…?"

"I've already set up the board, I'll let you go first."

"How kind of you." Kotomi smiles mischievously. She hasn't had a good shogi game in a while. "Westerners aren't very good at this game."

"Really now? It's not all that different from chess or checkers." Akashi takes a seat across from her. "Really almost a combination of both."

"Well, I'm positive you'll pose a greater challenge than anyone in England." Kotomi giggles, looking down at the board. In a bold move, she pushes her King piece forward a space on the nine by nine board. Akashi looks up at her with a raised brow.

"Feeling bold? Or am I being underestimated?" Kotomi smiles mischievously.

"Not at all. If anything, I feel that playing it safe would be an insult to you."

"Oh? How so?"

"Perhaps…that I don't know what to expect from you. You may be a shogi genius, or you're completely inept, so I save my strongest piece for when I'm sure. But…by moving my strongest piece first, I'm giving you all my respect in one move." Akashi looks surprised, not expecting a logical answer. She just kept surprising him.

"But isn't that just being reckless?"

"Not if I've a plan." Akashi's eyes gleam with intrigue as he places his finger on his own King, moving forward a space as well.

"Well then, I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to win regardless of whether you've a plan or not."

Midorima Shintaro carries around his pineapple piggy bank, his _furoshiki_ containing his now empty bento. He was returning to the classroom early, hoping to get some peace and quiet before classes start again. As he's reaching for the door knob, it opens by itself, revealing Fujisaki Kotomi, who is looking behind her, speaking to someone else inside the room.

"I'm just going to-oof!" She bumps her nose right into Midorima's chest, which almost causes him to lose his Lucky Item for the day. "Oh! Midorima-san! So sorry!" Midorima's face expresses shock, not by her sudden appearance, but by the precarious wobbling of his piggy bank. When he's sure he's not going to drop it, he glares at Kotomi, speaking sternly.

"Don't just walk around without watching where you're going! I could have dropped my Lucky Item!" Kotomi isn't at all shocked by his upset, merely tilting her head and scrutinizing his prize possession for the day.

"I don't understand, this is some kind of fortune telling type of obligation? Similar to carrying around a charm? I'm sorry, I was distracted." Kotomi bows to him slightly, before looking back to the redhead still sitting in his chair before the shogi board, chin tucked in between his index finger in thumb. "Akashi-kun, I'm going to grab a drink."

"Hn…" Kotomi smiles prettily at Midorima, who only stares on in bewilderment at her response to his anger. His confusion only annoyed him further, but her underwhelming reaction made him feel guilty for shouting at her, even if he still blamed her for almost destroying his Lucky Item. Unsure of what to do next, he looks to Akashi, who is still examining his board. What could have him so preoccupied? Curious, Midorima approaches the board, his eyes widening in shock at the formation of the board.

" _Jishogi…"1_ Akashi chuckles to himself, eyes wide in what could be awe or excitement. Midorima is floored. Of course, he had heart of both the Akashi and Fujisaki families, but in terms of the latter, Midorima only knew of the two sons until now. He was quite surprised to hear that they had a daughter as well when he heard her name called during the first day of classes. And now this daughter he's never heard of had just _tied_ with Akashi Seijurou in a game he was known for being a genius at. Was it just luck, or was this girl far more formidable than both her elder brothers? And not to mention, she was a manager on the basketball team? Why waste her time fetching water and writing down statistics? "Fujisaki Kotomi…who are you, exactly?" Another chuckle from Akashi brings the green haired teen back to focus.

"An interesting girl, indeed…"

Fujita digs his finger in his ear nonchalantly, despite the disgusted expressions of the other players as he stands with Kotomi, waiting for her to finish up.

"So? How was your little nerd date with Akashi Seijuro?"

"He isn't a nerd and it wasn't a date. Also, liking games like shogi don't make you a nerd, don't be rude."

"Yes ma'am…but, hm…" Kotomi finishes filling the last water bottle, setting it down in the holders. She reaches down to pick it up by the handles, but Fujita beats her to it, carrying it for her.

"What are you thinking about?"

"It's just…nah, it's nothing." Kotomi raises her eyebrow, watching him skeptically.

"Please don't hurt yourself, Fujita-kun."

"Wha-!? What's that supposed to mean?" Kotomi only answers with a giggle, running ahead into the third string's gymnasium.

"See you after! Have a good practice!" Fujita blinks a few times, but a smile spreads across his lips, a tender smile, one quite different from the energetic grin he usually has on his face.

1 A rare occurrence in a shogi game in which the king of both players is within the promotion zone, and it is difficult/impossible to check the other's king. At this point, the two players can count up the points they've captured (disregarding promotions of pieces). If both players have at least 24 points, the game ends in a draw.


	4. First String Problems

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or its characters, all the content belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki, and published by Shueisha. I do not make any profit on this, and I only own my characters. Please support the official release.**

The sound sneakers hitting pavement echoes in the ears of a powder blue haired young man, who runs alongside his teammates. He was trying to conserve his energy, but even after just a few minutes, he could feel the beginnings of strain on his body, which had yet to recover from try-outs. He was disappointed to make third string, hoping for at least second so he had the chance of becoming a regular, but…no! He had to become a regular. He had to fulfill his promise with Ogiwara, the one who gave him a sport that he loved. Giving up now would be undermining all the work he and his close friend had worked for all this time. He would do whatever he had to do to become a regular. Surely, he could manage it with hard work and dedication.

"Ten more minutes running! And if any of you stop, we're adding on two more minutes!" Kuroko tries not to let his stomach churn too quickly, lest he throw up now.

Fujisaki Kotomi was helping a few other managers retrieve the basketballs from the equipment rooms, listening to other girls chat about topics she didn't really know anything about, or wasn't interested in, especially since she hadn't taken the time to catch up about trends in Japan. Or rather, she hadn't been bothered enough to look just yet; not when she had dance class, or she was practicing with her grandparents, or studying. She didn't know how to insert herself into the conversation, or if she even wanted to engage with these girls. She just knew she felt incredibly awkward without Fujita to talk to. Her fingers were even itching to text Akashi. Her eyes wander over to the players, particularly the blue haired boy who had surprised her with some cryptic message about herself.

"Kuroko Tetsuya, huh…?" She murmurs to herself, watching him with thoughtful eyes. He didn't seem nearly as thought-provoking as he did back then. In fact, she was a little concerned for him. He didn't look so good, and they were running for another eight…ten minutes, now that someone had suddenly tripped on their own feet. It was incredibly bothersome to see just how poor these players were performing.

Yes, there was some potential in one or two of them, but one or two could not carry a team. Why even have a third string, in the first place? Is it meant to be a kind of "participation trophy?" Except, what kind of reward for nearly dying during try-outs is having a coach trying twice as hard to kill you? It just hardly made any kind of sense to her.

In all honesty, she felt pity for these young men. They'd either never get out of third string, or they'd quit when they realize it was all pointless. But…perhaps it was that bleak outlook that made her stay. In all honesty, there was some hope that they would improve with time. She supposed it was a fun little experiment, and with any luck, maybe she could garner enough attention to get moved up to the first-string gym. Kotomi nods once to herself, physically affirming that she had her goal. Now all she had to do was see what she was working with.

"Kuroko, go to the bathroom! Fujisaki-san! Could we get a mop here?" Kotomi inwardly groans but nods once and heads for the supply closet. Challenges were fun, but only when it was possible to win.

Once practice was over, Kotomi is slow to clean up, more focused on the stats and notes she had taking during practice. It was a lot rougher than she thought it would be. It wasn't as if they all out of shape, but in comparison to first string players, things didn't look good. And that's not even including Kuroko Tetsuya.

Kotomi utterly stumped on how someone so extraordinarily _average_ had caught her attention in the first place. He was likely one the of the worse players, even if he had knowledge of what he was supposed to be doing, he couldn't do it. It was as if his body and his mind were completely out of sync with each other. But why did she get such a strange feeling from him? Her intuitions were rarely ever wrong. Did he just catch her off guard?

"Excuse me," Perhaps his little quip about being a manager had been some kind of insult, and she was supposed to get mad. Was that why she was so off kilter? Japanese is so confusing. "Excuse me." But then why did it seem like she was hyperaware of him? There was absolutely, positively nothing— "Excuse me!"

Kotomi lets out a squeak as she turns around, gasping out a feeble "Y-yes!" as she does. The boy himself was standing behind her, just as surprised at her outburst as she was.

"When did you get here?"

"I've been standing behind you for a while now. I just wanted to know if you needed help putting those away." He points to the ball rack Kotomi had been standing by. She hadn't even realized it, but she never moved from her spot, so deep in thought that she had stopped all other movement.

"Oh, I…yes." Kuroko nods once and starts walking. Kotomi bites her lip, debating on herself for a moment, hopping and down a little as if she were physically deliberating with herself, before she hops forward and begins to follow him. The other managers and players spot her little dance, giggling to each other as she chases the young man down.

"That was so cute…"

"What was she doing?"

"You're…Kuroko Tetsuya, is that right?" Said player turns his head as he's walking, slightly surprised she remembered him.

"That's right. You're Fujisaki-san, one of the managers."

"Yes…"

"Thank for your advice the last time, I'm able to run a little longer, and I don't throw up as often." Kotomi smiles a little.

 _But you still threw up…_

"I'm glad I could help. Just…ah, well, I was wondering something…" After Kuroko pushes the ball rack back into the supply closet, he turns to her, tilting his head and awaiting her question.

"What is it?"

"Have you…played, basketball before?"

"I have."

"I see."

"I know that I'm not very good, yet. But I'm grateful to have made it on the team." Kotomi nods, that sentiment making sense to her. What was so confusing about him? "But I don't plan on staying." Kotomi closes the door and locks the supply closet, looking at him curiously.

"Do you think you can make second string?"

"I want to become a regular."

"Oh."

"You sound very surprised."

"I am." Kuroko is surprised by her honesty, half expecting him to start discouraging him, though the disapproval never comes. He was quite good at reading people, but Fujisaki Kotomi was a bit of an anomaly to him. He had never really had the chance since they bumped into each other at the club fair to read her properly, but there was something…different about her. It was the same feeling he got looking at those first years who made first string. But what could be intimidating about her? She was small and delicate looking, like she would break if he touched her too carelessly. Perhaps it was her eyes. Piercing and intense, like she could see someone's weaknesses and vulnerability without so much as batting an eye. "Kuroko-san?"

"Sorry. What did you say?"

"I was just asking if you wanted to walk out together?"

"I actually was planning to stay after."

"Really?"

"Yes. I already have permission from the advisor." Kotomi looks down for a minute, humming to herself before looking up at him, curiosity shining in her eyes.

"Well, may I stay and watch?" Kuroko's eyebrows rise and furrow.

"It's a little embarrassing for me."

"I can help you, maybe? I've been trying to study basketball. Applying some of the things I've learned will help me too." Kuroko smiles a little. Perhaps she wasn't nearly as complicated as he thought she was. She was actually quite kind, wasn't she?

"Then, do you think you can help me set out some cones? I want to practice dribbling. Kotomi hops in place a little, nodding and hurrying off to do just that. Kuroko watches her go, comparing her little hops similar to a rabbit searching for a place to burrow.

 _~A Few Hours Later~_

Kotomi clicks the button on the stopwatch, looking up at the near wheezing Kuroko, a little concerned again that he was pushing himself too hard. He looks up at her, eyes tired and sweat falling in droplets from his hair.

 _He's working so hard…_

"F-Fujisaki-san, how…how long did it take…?"

"Nine minutes to complete the mile…since you ran it earlier, this might be a little inaccurate of a measure." Kuroko stares at the ground in frustration. Kotomi looks away, feeling awkward. What did she say? It wasn't a good time, especially for a basketball player. He was doing everything he could, as hard as could. So why weren't his results showing? "We have to lock up the gym, soon…"

"Right." Kuroko wipes at his sweat with his shirt, still trying to catch his breath. Kotomi puts her notes and the stopwatch down, picking up another towel and tossing it to Kuroko, which he catches.

"You should sit and catch your breath. I'll start cleaning up."

"I don't want to make you clean up by yourself."

"I'm offering, and I chose to stay. It's my responsibility just as much as it is yours to put this place back into order. And you still have practice tomorrow." Kotomi smiles at him. "Please rest. If it really bothers you, then you can buy my juice tomorrow as payment for cleaning up tonight." Kuroko watches her as she starts picking up the cones off the floor from his dribbling drills.

"Thank you…you're very kind, Fujisaki-san." Kotomi looks surprised at this. She hasn't been called kind in a while. Then again, she hasn't really done this much for someone in a while, either.

"It's…no trouble at all, really." She hurries away before he can say anymore, a light dusting of pink on her cheekbones. Though as she's cleaning up, the cogs in her head start turning as she starts thinking on ways she can help Kuroko improve. She still didn't know everything about basketball just yet, so she had more research to do. For some reason, thinking that his hard work would go unnoticed made her stomach churn.

Madoka opens the door slowly to the apartment she now shared with her goddaughter, setting her dance shoes and her bag down as quietly as she can manage, not wanting to wake Kotomi. The living room was empty, the dishes were done, and Madoka's dinner sat under a cover, waiting to be reheated. She chuckles to herself.

 _Hard to believe she's an heiress, sometimes…_ Before she tucks into dinner, she walks over to the room directly across from hers, opening the door slowly and poking her head in, looking for the Kotomi-shaped lump on the bed to confirm that she made it home safe and sound. She's surprised to see the bed empty, but even more surprised to see Kotomi fast asleep at her desk, desk lamp still on and papers scattered all over the desk. Her laptop was still on, even.

Madoka approaches the sleeping teen. Was she already swamped with homework? Upon closer inspection, Madoka sees statistics on basketball players in the local high schools, breathing exercises to train endurance, step by step basketball drills, and advice from famous basketball coaches from the NBA. There was even more information along the same vein on the many tabs she had open on her laptop. Madoka carefully closes the laptop and reaches down to scoop her goddaughter out of bed.

"Come on, kiddo, let's get you to bed." She grunts with exertion as she picks Kotomi up, stumbling a little and trying not to throw the thirteen-year-old onto her bed. "Geez, you're much heavier than you look. Guess you do work out all the time…" She tucks her into bed, removing her sweatshirt and socks, pulling the sheets up on her gently brushing her hands through Kotomi's hair, huffing softly.

"This is the only time you'll let anyone take care of you, huh…" She glances back at the work on her desk, admittedly a bit concerned about her sudden interest in basketball. "Don't make the same mistakes your idiot brothers made…" Madoka leans down and kisses Kotomi's forehead, turning off her desk lamp and closing the door behind her as she leaves.

Kuroko is one of the first players to arrive, removing his outdoor shoes and heading for the locker rooms as he greets the coaches and managers.

"Good morning." He spots Kotomi, nodding politely to her, which she returns, before he heads into the gym.

"Excuse me, is Fujisaki-chan here?" Kotomi looks up to the voice calling her name, spotting Momoi Satsuki at the entrance. "Ah, Fujisaki-chan! Long time no see! Could I speak with you for a moment?"

"Of course." Kotomi approaches her with an amicable but slightly confused expression. "What can I help you with?" Momoi holds out a large manila envelope, which seemed to be stuffed to the brim.

"Captain asked me to bring these to you. First string is having its first practice game this weekend and he asked you to look over this data of the other team I've compiled, along with the game footage."

 _For a practice game…?_ The captain was the one who suggested she speak with the head coach, but it was still an odd request when he had Momoi to do this. Regardless, Kotomi nods, tucking the envelope under her arm for the time being.

"I'll take a look at it and send him my notes."

"Actually, if you could bring it to the first-string gymnasium on Friday!"

"I can do that."

"Good to hear!" Momoi is so bubbly… "Then I'll see you Friday!" She waves and hops back out. She almost has a hop in every step she takes. Not confused, uncertain hops, but genuine, bouncy hops that was more like an energetic child than a confused mammal. Kotomi looks down at the files, deciding to put them in her bag until she could take a look at them.

"How was practice today?"

"A little easier, so I hope that I'm getting used to it. Thank you for all your help, Fujisaki-san." Kotomi shakes her head.

"I can give you everything and you could still not follow through with it, so it's all thanks to you, Kuroko-san. I just want to do my part as manager." Speaking of which… "Unfortunately, I can't stay with you after practice tonight, I'm sorry."

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just that the captain asked me to look into something."

"I see, well, I hope you'll come by again sometime." Kotomi nods.

"I will. Try to get that mile time up, alright?" The corners of Kuroko's lips twitch, threatening an amused smile.

"I will." There's a knock at the entrance of the gymnasium as Fujita appears, waving at Kotomi with his free hand not holding the bag.

"Fujisaki-chan! We ready to go?" Kotomi laughs, her mood suddenly brightening as she turns to Fujita. It doesn't register in his expression, but Kuroko is quite shocked to see the way she smiles and grabs her bag, running over to Fujita. Her entire mood changed, though it was almost hardly discernable for someone who wasn't as observant as him.

"Calm down, you're bothering people. How do you have this much energy?" There's a lightness in her voice that Kuroko hadn't heard prior, and there was no tension or rigidity to her speech. He wonders if they knew each other before school started, because they both seemed close for school having just started.

 _She would be much cuter if she was expressive like this all the time…_ Kuroko finds himself thinking as he watches the two of them walk out together. He found her smile quite nice. Not in the sense that it made his heart beat quicker, but rather that it eased that odd feeling he got from her when they first started talking. It would be nice if the two of them became a little closer, too.

"Mmm, Number 12 is a second late to respond to the ball change…a leg injury?" Kotomi flips through the young man's files, finding a school report on the injury during gym class. "How did Momoi-san get ahold of this information? But it proves my hunch. In which case, it's probably best that we don't worry about him too much. Kotomi notes down her observation, typing into her laptop. The door to her room opens, flooding the bed with lights and hip-hop music floating in from the living room, where Madoka was busy choreographing. Her godmother is carrying a mug.

"You know, normal teenagers usually get caught watching porn, and you're watching…?"

"Game footage. The captain asked me to take a look at it and see what I can find about the players."

"Really? Well, you've always been so observant, so it's a good use of your skill set. Just don't push yourself too hard, got it?" Kotomi takes the mug as it's offered to her, sipping on its contents carefully and sighing as she tastes the sweet chocolate flowing down her throat.

"I won't. It's fun, actually. I get to flex my brain a little." Madoka laughs, though her smile falls just a little. Kotomi doesn't have to wonder why for long.

"By the way…your dad called from England. He just got back from a business meeting and he said he's been trying to contact you, and you haven't been answering." Kotomi takes a nonchalant sip from her hot cocoa, not meeting her godmother's eyes. "Have you been getting the calls, at least?"

Silence is her only answer. Madoka sighs heavily, running a finger through her own bob cut. "Kotomi, I know you don't like your dad, but he did sound worried about you. He wished that he had been there, maybe he could have—"

"If he knew Grandmother Cordelia at all, he would know that she wanted me to return to Japan someday. He just didn't care enough until now."

"You know that's not true."

"I think I know my own father, Madoka." Despite the intensity of her words, Kotomi's tone is calm and collected, as if she were talking about the weather. "I can't receive a call from a number I've blocked, so tell him to give up." Madoka looks stunned, brow furrowing in confusion.

"You _blocked—"_ Kotomi cuts her godmother off with a yawn, stretching and standing up from her seat.

"I'm tired. I think I'm going to shower and go to bed." Madoka opens her mouth, as if to say she wasn't done talking about this, but then closes it. She allows Kotomi to pass her with her towel to the bathroom. What could she say? Kotomi was living under her roof, yes, but even if she loved Kotomi as much as she loved her own son, she sure as hell wasn't Kotomi's mother. Even then, Kotomi hardly listening to what her mother told her. She only bent to the will of her Grandmother Cordelia, and occasionally her paternal grandfather. If anyone else wanted to stop her from doing what she wanted, it would be like pushing against a brick wall. Pushing an issue after she was done talking about it would only make her more cautious, and Madoka didn't want that.

"Damn kids and their hormones…"

"Fujisaki-chan! You came to visit me!"

"No," Kotomi deadpans, tilting her head with an unassuming expression. "I just came to drop something off for the captain. Fujita deflates, and Kotomi feels like she's kicked a puppy.

"But…I am happy to see you, of course."

"You're getting better at not being a jerk."

"And you're still good at annoying me." The two students laugh, despite their traded insults, and Fujita waves to her as he returns to playing with his teammates. Kotomi already notices that he was bulkier, and he seemed to run with ease, even more so than before. A smile graces her lips before she heads past the green mesh nets. She could already see heads of green, red, purple, blue, and pink through the obscurity of the divider, rounding the corner.

"Fujisaki," Captain Nijimura turns to face her, a default polite smile gracing his lips. "Thanks for doing all this work on such short notice."

"It wasn't too hard, it was an honor for you to put your trust in me." Nijimura blushes slightly, looking away and scratching his cheek.

"O-Oi, you don't have to speak so formally…"

 _Why does everyone say that? This is how I normally talk…_ Kotomi doesn't voice her confusion, turning to look at the other first-string players.

"Ohh, so this is her, Satsuki?" Kotomi looks over to where the voice is coming from, spotting the tanned young man she remembered seeing at try outs, Momoi's friend. He had an energetic air that seemed to brighten the space he occupied, similar to the way Fujita did, though on a larger scale. She can't help but return his giant, contagious grin with one of her own.

"Hello, my name is—"

"Fujisaki Kotoko, right?" Kotomi blinks a few times. Not only did he interrupt her, but he got it wrong…

"Kotomi."

"Oh. I got it wrong. Sorry…" Aomine grins sheepishly.

"Call her Fuji-chan!" Momoi announces proudly.

"Please, don't…"

"Eh!? Why not, it's cute? Then, Saki-chan!" While she preferred no nickname at all, somehow Kotomi knew she wasn't going to get much better than that.

"Why is she so small?" Kotomi finds herself craning her neck to look up at the larger than life middle schooler who interrupted her introduction with widened eyes. He was even taller up close like this. "It's creepy. She looks like she should be in a toy store, or something."

"Ah…" Kotomi wants to puff out her cheeks at such a rude statement, but she manages to refrain, smiling gently. "I'll get a growth spurt, soon, I hope." His only response is to shrug and turn away, taking interest in something that wasn't hurt. She wasn't sure whether to be glad or insulted. However, her smile returns when she spots a familiar pair of heads, green and red respectively.

"Akashi-san, Midorima-san." Kotomi offers a small wave, to which Akashi smiles and Midorima only nods, though to everyone but Kotomi and Midorima himself, it was quite obvious the green haired teen was pleased to see her, what with the way he fidgeted with his Lucky Item, a Cheetah print glasses case.

"Fujisaki-san, it's very good to see you again. Thank you again for bringing the information. It's a great help."

"Of course. I enjoyed compiling it."

"I was hoping to play another game of shogi, very soon. What do you say?"

"That sounds perfect. Let's make plans again, soon."

"Satsuki, why do they both talk like that?" Aomine whispers to his childhood friend. Momoi whispers back softly.

"They're both from prestigious families, I believe."

"She'd be cuter if she wasn't as stuffy." Aomine wrinkles his nose. "She makes my nose itch. I get a weird feeling from her." Momoi raises an eyebrow.

"Weird…?"

"Okay! Enough chatting! Let's get to practice!"

"I should head back to the third-string, gym."

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind helping out here today, Fujisaki-san." Kotomi raises an eyebrow looking at Akashi, surprised he was deciding something like that. "There are plenty of managers already, I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you helped out here, today."

"I don't think they would, but is that really okay?"

"Of course, it is." Akashi smiles, unassuming, and Kotomi wonders if she's just imagining that glint in his eye, like a lion who's spotted its prey lounging by the watering hole. "But if you're more comfortable in the third-string gym, that's quite alright, too." This was a good chance to get some ideas on what the third string should be working towards, after all. She might be able to lean something useful.

"I don't mind either way, but if Akashi-san has asked me, then I have to stay here." Akashi's smile widens, but in a more amicable fashion, looking more like a middle schooler now.

"Perfect." Momoi loops her arm around Kotomi's and hugs it, much to Kotomi's surprise and apprehension. She didn't quite like being touched by strangers, but Momoi seemed like the touchy type, and for the most part harmless, so she lets it go, for now.

"Come this way, Saki-chan!" She still didn't like that nickname…

By the time practice is over, Kotomi is almost sweating from how quickly she had to write. Her previous assumptions about the third-string's abilities were crushed. The first-string, in its first two weeks, was leagues above its less than exemplary counterparts. In fact, even second-string was miles away. Even the upperclassmen seem just as shocked, from what she's been hearing from the conversations occurring around her. The first-string was obviously better, in general, but this? This was unheard of, and Kotomi knew just what was so outlandish.

"That was quite spectacular, Murasakibara-san." Kotomi knew the compliment would go unappreciated as the purple teen yawns again, seeming quite bored and having hardly broken a sweat. Everything seemed to come to him with ease, thanks to his height, long limbs, and natural strength.

"Don't talk to me if you're going to use such annoying words, Fujisaki-san." Midorima, still in the middle of cleaning up, seems annoyed, fixing his glasses before moving along. Kotomi blinks several times, but before she can formulate a response, Aomine butts in.

"Yeah! You sound so stuck up! How do you make friends like that?"

"I…don't really make friends. People come to me." Now that Kotomi thought about it, that necessarily wasn't a good thing. Actually, that was awful. And embarrassing.

"That's because you talk like you're some kind of samurai or somethin'!"

"Samurai…?"

"Mou, Dai-chan! That's so rude!" Momoi puffs her cheeks out cutely, tapping her friend on the shoulder with her clipboard.

"Could…you teach me…?" Kotomi can't stop her hands from fidgeting, staring down at the ground. There was a light dusting on her cheeks. She almost never asked for help from others, especially people she didn't know. But she would never get to know anyone unless she learned to speak more colloquially. Her grandmother told her never to, in her words, "dumb herself down," but that just seemed counterproductive to becoming a functioning member of society. "How to speak…more like my peers?"

Aomine's cheeks turn red, and he rubs the back of his head sheepishly, grinning so brightly Kotomi wondered briefly if the room had indeed gotten lighter, even though it was already dark outside.

"'Course I can!" Aomine is interrupted when Momoi steps in front of Aomine, getting in the other girl's face, hands suddenly clasping both of hers.

"You should talk about the things you like, Saki-chan! Like…what's your favorite food?"

"Oh, I like…sweets…? Like…cakes…and crepes…" This attracts the attention of a certain purple giant, how looms over her with a sparkle in his eyes, like some kind of hungry Titan.

"You should learn about the different kinds of pastries." Murasakibara asserts. "It'll be a pain, but if you buy my snacks for me, I'll consider that as your payment."

"How is that important?" Aomine huffs, not liking that he was pushed to the side so quickly.

"Everyone likes to talk about snacks."

"Well, you're not wrong, I guess." Momoi giggles, still holding Kotomi's hand.

"If you're going to learn pointless things, then at least learn about your horoscope." Kotomi wasn't expecting Midorima to get involved with the conversation now, but he steps up regardless, pulling out a cleaning cloth from his Lucky Item and wiping his glasses clean.

"When's your birthday?"

"…October 7th…I'm a Libra." Midorima fixes his glasses, seeming a little confused by something in her admission.

"I see…"

"She's tryin' to make friends, not be even weirder than she already is."

"Wha-!?"

"Dai-chan!"

"Anyway, Fuji-chin, about snacks…"

"F-Fuji-chin…?" Was it her imagination, or were they circling around her? And first she was Saki-chan, and now she's Fuji-chin? Nicknames weren't typically used to familiarly, were they? Maybe she needed to ask Madoka about the mannerisms, now. She thought she could learn through ear, but…

"Anyway, Fujisaki!" And now Aomine wasn't using honorifics at all!? They just met! His pace was just too irregular for her! "I'll teach you a cool phrase that's super popular here!" He leans in and whispers something into her ear, and Momoi's concern skyrockets when Kotomi's brows furrow and her lips part in a question already forming before he finishes, and her fears are realized when Kotomi's voice seems to echo a little louder than she means for it to.

"What's bareback?"1 It seems that the worse the situation, the quieter it happens to get just in time for everyone to hear it. Some middle schoolers still didn't understand what exactly she was saying, but those who did stop what they're doing, gaping at the apparent audacity of a cute manager who doesn't have nearly as solid a grasp on Japanese as she thinks she does speaking such language in public, and on school grounds, no less. Momoi covers her mouth, cheeks pink.

"Oh…" Midorima finally speaks up, but his threats don't really have their desired effect with his entire face so red.

"A-Aomine! You c-can't just-!" Aomine looks just as confused as everyone else.

"The upperclassmen taught me! What's wrong?"

"Mine-chin is a pervert…"

"What did you just call me!?"

"Anyways, Fuji-chin, there's this bakery in Shinjuku…"

"Oi! Don't ignore me!"

"I could say the same, Aomine! Using such vulgar words like that in front of _anyone,_ especially young women!"

"We still have to clean up." Kotomi goes unheard in the commotion, and her soft, almost undetectable giggle is missed by everyone in the room.

"You're right, she does have a good chemistry, even with an odd combination like that." Nijimura notes as he watches the four of them bicker amongst each other, Akashi appraising the sight with an amused smile of his own.

"I think she'd be more useful in the first-string. She can still do her duties in the third string, but her observational skills might pair well with Momoi and her data gathering."

"I'd like to see more concrete results in the game, first, but I'll talk to coach about it when we're sure." Nijimura admits, sighing before he finally decides that he should intervene, calling out.

"Oi! You lot! Either clean or get out!"

"Ehh, we can leave?"

"Murasakibara! You can run 4 more laps tomorrow for that!"

1 Aomine whispered "なまがいい、"which roughly translates to "bareback is okay," which is essentially a phrase referring to unprotected sex.


	5. Ridiculous

Summary:

A couple months have passed since Kotomi has begun her life in Japan, and as a student at Teiko. It seems like nothing can slow her down. She becomes more acquainted with not only the first-year players, but the strange phantom boy she met in the gymnasium. The ocean was clear for Kotomi now, murky waters and bumpy seas are lying just ahead.

Who would have thought that being a teenager would leave someone like her so frazzled!

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or its characters, all the content belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki, and published by Shueisha. I do not make any profit on this work, and I only own my characters. Please support the official release.**

Notes:

 **Author's Notes** Hoo boy! I had a lot of fun writing this one. We get introduced to some more insight on Kotomi's family, as well as the her relationship with the first members of the GoM.

" _There she is."_

 _"She's so beautiful." A tiny girl with short hair dark as night and wide blue eyes looks up at the woman holding her hand at the woman with mocha-colored hair and eyes the color of cornflowers, exactly like hers, but weighed down by some unspoken heft of a truth she could not bear to give voice. Yes, her mother was beautiful, but why did they sound so sad?_

 _"How could he do such a thing? Ayato is just out of high school and the twins are barely in elementary school." The woman's pretty face is marred by a scowl as she pulls roughly on her daughter's hand._

A day at the park gone wrong. It was the first time in months she had been able to spend time with her mother.

" _It's not like they got married because they wanted to. It was arranged. No wonder this happened."_

This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

 _"It's hardly Eliza's fault. She's a sickly woman and she works hard."_

 _"She should leave that man. For the sake of her children."_

The whispers, the glances. It didn't take a genius to notice.

 _Especially with how her mother glared at the ground, only pulling her child's arm a little harder, ignoring the pleading questions that came along with it._

 _"Mama? I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Tiny hands tug at her mother's pant leg, but the leg only pulls away from her, retreating away from the tiny fingers as her mother heads up the stairs of the foyer. Her mother couldn't see her face, but her voice was small and weepy, obviously on the verge of crying. "I won't ask to go to the park anymore, please don't be mad."_

 _"Just go play with your toys." And with that, she was gone, and in the freezing cold of isolation despite the summer sun just outside, the little girl found herself alone._

Kotomi jolts awake, her eyes wide as she slowly sits up, panting softly and trying to calm her aching chest. The last couple months seemed like such a blur to her. Between alternating between helping at Madoka's studio and visiting her grandparents, watching game footage and providing her insights for the basketball team, and spending what little time she had left juggling her studies, spending time with Fujita, and occasionally helping Kuroko after basketball practice with his drills. Out of all her obligations and duties, it seemed as if Kuroko and his basketball style was an anomaly, even to her. He just wasn't getting any better, and the other first years were only improving. According to his growth, Fujita would be moving up to first string, soon. Even sooner, Haizaki Shougo, another first-year, moved up to the first-string after the promotion tests. The gap between Kuroko and the others was only growing, and Kotomi found herself worried for him. She didn't have the heart to tell him to quit, but she wasn't so cold that she could bear watching him work so hard with so few results.

Kotomi runs her fingers through her hair in early morning frustration, which had grown to her shoulders.

 _Add haircut to the list of things I need to do…I suppose I miss a bustling schedule more than I initially perceived...hopefully things will slow down this summer._ Kotomi slips out of bed to begin her day, pulling out her notes and rifling through them one more time. Akashi and the other first-string members were going to play in national qualifiers, this week. Unfortunately, she was helping Madoka with a dance class benefit event for inner-cities with the original studio in the U.S., so she wouldn't be able to attend, but she had worked very closely with Momoi these last few months to compile the perfect profile on their opponents. No complaints. _Hopefully the Captain and Akashi-kun think the same…_ Closing the documents within a plain manila folder, Kotomi packs her bags for the day.

"Morning, kiddo!" Madoka greets her as she's shoving buttered toast into her mouth, stuffing a change of clothes and her I-pod into her dance bag. "You're getting up later and later, you're gonna end up sleeping in one day! It's all the work you're doing!"

"Or maybe it's a poor home influence?" Kotomi dodges the bread crust sent her way, laughing lightly and reaching into the refrigerator. "I was kidding."

"Sleeping in late, being a smart-ass, actually staying out after dark with friends, could it be Fujisaki Kotomi is becoming an actual teenager?" Madoka gasps in mock bewilderment, though her eyes are smiling.

"Very funny," Madoka eyes the two Tupperware containers Kotomi pulls out of the fridge. She hands one to Madoka. "Here. You're not going to last long on just bread and eating instant ramen will just slow you down." Madoka curiously opens the container, tilting her head and raising a brow at the odd little mocha colored balls with dark brown lumps inside. She sniffs the supposed food, able to detect peanut butter, but not much else. There were at least two dozen of them. The other container was much larger, Madoka couldn't help but notice, as her goddaughter puts it inside a plastic bag.

"What are these?"

"Protein balls. It's rolled oats, peanut butter, dark chocolate chips and honey. They're sweet and nutritious, so athletes can get their energy back." Kotomi explains, glancing up and raising a brow at the large, Cheshire-like grin her godmother was giving her. "What's wrong…?"

"Baking for your basketball boys? You really are like a teen girl, now. Do you have a crush on any of them?

"It's to replenish energy, and it isn't as if it took a lot of time." Kotomi glances away, puffing her cheeks out a little. She didn't think it was that big of a deal. Her grandfather Callum had the maids make her protein muffins before a fencing tournament, she was just following tradition. Nationals were a big deal, according to Momoi. It was good for the school. She just made them now to get opinions on the taste.

"If you say so! Ah, to be young!"

"Now now, Madoka, you still have another 3 years before you're old enough to say such things."

"If I wasn't running late, you would pay dearly for that." Madoka's voice holds dark promise as she hurries out the door, waving. Kotomi giggles, continuing to pack her bag when her phone flashes with an incoming call. She glances at the screen, deciding to ignore it when she doesn't recognize the number, continuing on with her day. More than likely a wrong number.

 _ **~Nagoya, Japan~**_

"I'm sorry, this number has not yet set up a voice mail box…" A heavy sigh escapes the lips of a handsome man with straight hair the color of a raven's feathers and eyes the color of chestnuts. He bites his bottom lip as he glances down at the sleeping form beside him, shame and guilt bubbling up in his chest once again. So close, yet so far away.

"Takahiro…?" Said man looks down at his lover, offering a weak smile as she pushes some of his hair behind his ear with an affectionate gesture that sent his heart a flutter and his chest ache all the same.

"May I ask you something, Neiomi?"

"Of course, anything!" The beautiful woman flips onto her stomach, the coffee colored bangs of her rounded bob cut obscuring one turquoise colored iris.

"If you were, well, estranged…from your father," the man rubs the back of his head gingerly, trying to find a less awkward way of asking the question. Finding none, he continues. "would you let him talk if he showed up at your front door?" Neiomi raises a perfectly shaped brow, appraising him with some incredulous disdain for the topic he was trying to raise.

"Is that why you've been ignoring me? I thought your daughter blocked your phone number."

"I…bought a new phone."

"If were a little girl whose daddy is sleeping with other women instead of providing for her sickly mother while I was shipped off to Tokyo, I think I'd throw you out before you even stepped foot on my property." Takahiro flinches, looking down.

"I deserve that…"

"You said yourself that you weren't particularly interested in what goes on with her."

"I said I don't care what the plans her _grandmother_ has for her." Takahiro snaps lightly, glancing down his phone again. It was a never-ending cycle with him. It was pathetic. He doesn't push Neiomi away when he feels her arms wrap around him from behind, her hands caressing his face the same way Eliza would. She knew that it messed with his head. "I want things to be right. She loves her grandfather Callum. She needs to be with him, someone engaged."

"If you want to fix things, love," he flinches when she kisses his ear, hands caressing his unbuttoned dress shirt from the workday before. "You need to start with this problem right here."

 _ **~Teiko Junior High, Lunchtime~**_

"Thank you again for doing so much work for the national qualifiers, Fujisaki-san." Akashi's praises are common place to her, but Kotomi nods regardless, smiling politely as always. She had always been innately good at observation as a child, a talent honed by her childhood experiences. They were at one of their regular shogi games, with Midorima awaiting his turn and listening to their conversation.

"I'm glad I was able to help." Kotomi movies her king forward, a bold move indeed, but they've played enough games together for Akashi to know she didn't play as carelessly as she led others to believe. Her strategy was quite interesting, and it translated into the way she planned out their game strategies. She took a bold step forward, letting him take a majority of her pieces, but then she would flip it around, using his own pieces to block the small team she had left as they swiftly promoted and decimated his team until they were about equal. It was the similar play style she suggested for the basketball team. Move in strong and steadfast, make the opponent think that the team is just reckless. Little did they know every move they make has been accounted for and countered before they can even conceive. It was a brilliant strategy. Tying in shogi was a rare occurrence, but Kotomi made it seem as if she wasn't even trying. "But I hope the information is still applicable? Their last game available on footage was 3 months ago."

"People don't change that quickly. While I expect a few irregularities, Momoi's data and your information will still make our win inevitable." Akashi reassures her, claiming one of her pieces for his own.

"I see," She wasn't surprised by her own accomplishment, but there was the echo of relief from some unseen doubt. "That's good, then. Ah, another draw…"

"Shall we take a quick break, then?" Akashi offers, turning to Midorima. "I think I'd like to get a drink."

"I don't mind." Midorima nods in agreement with Kotomi, glancing at his Rodaemon1 plush on the desk beside him as Akashi stands up, heading out of the room. Forest green irises travel back to his raven-haired classmate, who was checking her phone and giggling at something she reads. His eyes remain there until cornflower blue meets forest green, blinking in surprise. Midorima immediately looks away, huffing in false indignation.

"Is something wrong?"

"Why keep with the same strategy when you only reach a draw or lose?" Kotomi tilts her head, smiling a little and tilting her head thoughtfully.

"Akashi is such a formidable opponent, I can't quite read what strategy is best. I suppose I'm hoping that I'll find some new technique if I memorize both his moves and my own if I take the same course and diverge from the path every now and then. You always seem so close to beating him, Midorima-san."

 _I've never reached a draw with him, or you, for that matter._ Midorima doesn't voice either of those admissions out loud, but he stands up and sits in front of Kotomi and the shogi board, resetting the board.

"I may not be Akashi, but you may try some of your ideas on me. I hope you're not applying the same logic when you provide information for our games."

"Well, not everyone thinks like Akashi-san. I can play around here all I want, but I don't want to risk a new strategy when the stakes are high for you guys." A fair assumption. It was a relief to know that she viewed winning just as important as the others. Victory was in Teiko's very foundation, after all. He didn't know much about the Fujisaki family's children, but so far, she seemed as one would expect the child of a longtime dignified family to be.

"I suppose you're right. Besides, as long as I bring my Lucky Item and do my utmost, there's no way we can lose." He's surprised when Kotomi smiles, a gentle turn of her lips, obscured partly by dainty, well-manicured fingers. Midorima looks a bit perturbed.

"Why do you laugh?"

"You're funny, Midorima-san."

"I don't think I said anything deserving of laughter."

"No, you didn't. You're straightforward and determined."

"I still don't see why that's funny."

"Maybe 'funny' isn't the right word. Perhaps…intriguing? Admirable? Either way, it's precisely why I like you."2 His cheeks light up uncontrollably at her sudden declaration, and he sputters, standing up so suddenly Kotomi jumps at the sound of the chair squeaking across tile floors. Kotomi looks up at him, shocked. "What? What did I say?"

"Y-You-! You just said…you can't say things like that so casually! We barely know each other!" To say Kotomi was just as surprised as he was is an understatement.

"But I do like you!" Midorima takes a step back, looking for some kind of escape from this situation. He's never been confessed to, before, especially by a girl like her. She was undoubtedly a more than suitable choice for a wife in terms of bloodline, education, and reputation; he had thought so ever since their eyes met during the first week of classes, but he barely knew a single thing about her. How did he proceed? He couldn't lead her on, surely! Wait…Oha-Asa warned him about this:

" _ **Cancers rank third, today! Today's Lucky Item is a Rodaemon piggy bank! Be alert! A misunderstanding might catch you off guard but be sure to clear the air as soon as possible!"**_

Midorima visibly relaxes and sits down with a huff without so much as an explanation. Kotomi stares at him for a long time, then snickers, covering her mouth as she fights the laughter spilling from her chest.

"W-what's so funny now!" His whole face was red now, brow furrowed in frustration as he tries to calm his racing heart.

"You're just, so…," Kotomi takes a deep breath, still covering her mouth. "You're exactly like a Cancer." This causes Midorima's ears to perk, and he looks at her with a bewildered expression.

"You're making no sense."

"You're reserved and polite, and the Midorima family is known for being quite traditional. But you're endlessly passionate towards the things you care about. Oha-Asa and basketball, for example." He opens his mouth to deny her words but finds that to do so would be an outright lie. She read him perfectly.

"I thought you knew nothing of horoscopes?" She glances away at the innocent accusation, seeming a little shy. She reaches for her bag and pulls out a pair of pink binoculars for children. Midorima vaguely recognizes it as the Lucky Item for Libras, today.

"I just happened upon it while I was researching Libras. These belonged to a crush my godbrother Ichiro had when he was young; she had forgotten it after coming to play. I found them under his bed." Midorima listens to her explanation with some skepticism about its relevance to the conversation.

"What does that have to do with your horoscope?"

"I'm not sure if I believe in such a thing as fate or horoscopes, but…" Kotomi holds up the binoculars to her eyes, looking at Midorima through them. "I think finding a Lucky Item like this is almost like a scavenger hunt! And it brings me good memories. I really liked that girl who used to come and play. Her name was Tanaka Saeko.3 She was strong and passionate and kind and cute. I had almost forgotten about her. And now I remember." She pulls away to smile at Midorima again. As small as it was, Midorima feels some kind of reaction to it. He didn't think she would actually heed his advice, since Aomine teased the bespectacled basketball player so relentlessly. Not to mention, to take such a strange take on something like Oha-Asa…

"That doesn't explain what made you start looking at it." Kotomi shrugs at this, putting her Lucky Item away for now.

"I'm the one who asked for advice, and I didn't see the harm in trying." Midorima nods absentmindedly, still stunned by that entire exchange. He found himself utterly stumped by his natural gravitation towards her, gears turning to try and reason out why he always found her in his sight.

 _Libras are like that, this should come as no surprise. It's their natural charm. It's perfectly natural to be moved by someone like Fujisaki. But that's all it is._ Midorima stands up, suddenly, completely composed.

"Work on your Japanese before worrying about things concerning me, or nothing will come from finding your Lucky Item. God does not help those who do not do what's necessary of them." With that, he exits the room, taking his piggy bank with him. Akashi on his way back when he passes Midorima.

"Midorima? The game—"

"I'll be back."

Akashi heads back to the classroom, seeing Kotomi staring at the shogi board with furrowed brows. "What happened?"

"I'm not really sure. Midorima-san seemed to panic when I told him that I liked him." Akashi's eyebrows shoot up into his hairline.

"And…do you?"

"What?"

"Like him in that way. Midorima."

"Of course. He's a bit abrasive, but I don't think it's a bad thing. I like everyone on the basketball team."

 _Oh. I see what happened._ Akashi can't help an amused smile, claiming his seat across from her once more.

"Fujisaki, the context for the phrase you used has a very different meaning than you intended. That might be why Midorima acted the way he did."

"Another context…?" Kotomi puts her hand to her chin, thinking long and hard about her words. Considering that she rarely used Japanese while in the UK, her understanding for cultural context had taken a larger blow than she originally thought. Akashi watches her a moment, then sighs.

"You told him you were romantically interested in him." Kotomi looks at Akashi again, and he was quite amused by the way her entire face turns a lovely shade of pink before she covers it with both her hands, letting out only a soft "oh" in response.

"I thought it sounded a little weird in my head, but I didn't think…" She curses herself.

"I'm sure it came as quite a shock to him, considering you've only known each other almost two months."

"How embarrassing…"

"It's just a misunderstanding, I'm sure he'll understand. Don't worry too much about it. Shall we continue?" Kotomi takes a deep breath to compose herself, nodding as she meets his crimson gaze once again. For all her skill at observation, she couldn't quite understand why there was such a relief in his eyes.

"Yes!"

 _ **~In the hallways, at the same time…~**_

Midorima hastily buys a drink from the vending machine to compose himself, chugging the bottled tea for a few seconds before he pulls the bottle away from his lips, which purse a bit in rebellion of his thoughts. His grip on the bottle tightens when the blush he was fighting in the presence of both Fujisaki and Akashi rears its ugly pink hue on his porcelain skin. Her words, her small mannerisms, and her _smile…_ such a small, weak gesture, as if she wasn't too sure about how her muscles in her face worked. And yet he could only describe it the way his mind betrayed him the day he first saw her in class.

It frustrated him to no end. He only ever caught glimpses of her at practice or glanced at her in class or listened to her voice as she spoke to him and Akashi during their lunch hour. That was his first face-to-face conversation with her after months of almost-was interactions. And yet her smile. His traitorous mind resurfaced that irrational thought he had when he first saw her in the classroom, sitting with some kind of uncertainty of her status. He willed it away that time, for he knew it was just his reaction to his hormones as a teen boy. But this time, he couldn't shake it. It coiled around his thoughts and rooted itself in his lips to stay.

 _Pretty…_

 _ **~ Basketball Practice, First-String Gym~**_

Kotomi's fingers twitch nervously as the manila folder finally leaves her hands. She glances at the divider splitting up the first and second-string players, wishing that Fujita was here for support. He has been out sick for these last few days, and despite her concern, he told her not to come.

"You're already so busy, you can't add visiting me onto that long list of yours. Take a break!" He said to her when she suggested she stop by. She hoped to at least bring him some of the treats. Nijimura looks surprised when he feels the weight of it, looking down and rifling through the several pages for a moment.

"This is so much, are you sure this was alright for you to handle, Fujisaki?" Kotomi nods, folding her hands daintily in front of her.

"Yes, it's more work than it looks. Momoi-san helped me quite a bit, too." Said pink haired female perks at the sound of her name from afar, turning away from Micchan and Acchan, two managers she's made close friends with, and throws her arms around the raven-haired manager.

"Mou, I already told you, Ko-chan, call me Satsuki!" She cries, rocking the other girl back at forth as she wobbles and tries not to fall over. Over the last few months, the two have spent quite some time after school together, gathering data and recording Kotomi's observations. Momoi had a real talent, despite claiming she's never done something like this before. She was cheerful, kind and excitable, and Kotomi's realized that perhaps she's drawn to those kinds of people, because she tends to get carried away with them, as is the case with Fujita, as well. It helped that Momoi seemed to take to someone quiet like Kotomi.

"And I told you, I don't like Ko-chan…" Kotomi pouts slightly.

"Sa-chin, obviously Koto-chin sounds better," Murasakibara drawls as he approaches them, ball still in hand.

"Just Fujisaki is fine…"

"Eh? You don't like nicknames?" Momoi puffs her cheeks out adorably, silky, peachy pink hair bouncing in protest to Kotomi's rejection.

"Well, I don't mind…"

"How about Koto?" Aomine pops in now, having seen the commotion and getting interested. He's changed her name at least 3 different times now.

"Dai-chan, you have to add honorifics! You can't talk to a girl like that!"

"Murasakibara calls her '-chin!'"

"Eh? Fujisaki-san is way too long…"

"Oi." All four teens freeze up at the change in tone of their captain's voice. He seems to loom over them to a comical point, even Murasakibara. Kotomi is reminded of those old Japanese yakuza movies Madoka used to watch, with their protruding lip and frightening demeanor. She doesn't shrink away nearly as much as everyone else. She wasn't intimidated by such shows of force as easily as others, but she does take a step back. "When did I say you two could stop practicing…?" Murasakibara glances at the plastic bag Kotomi was carrying, licking his lips.

"I thought I smelled snacks...Koto-chin, did you bring food?"

"Oh! That reminds me…" Kotomi places her bag on a bench and pulls out the container, opening it to show the small crowd its contents. "I wanted to help a little more, since I won't be able to join you all for the qualifiers, so I was wondering if you would try these out and tell me if you like them?" Murasakibara snatches one and sniffs it, murmuring to himself.

"Peanut butter, honey, chocolate…"

"Uwah, he's like a bloodhound…" Aomine picks one of the balls up as well, popping it into his mouth while Nijimura glances at Kotomi with raised brows.

"Fujisaki, you didn't have to do that."

"It didn't take long! And it's healthy, I promise. If you don't want me to make them again, that's alright. I just wanted everyone's opinion, first." The captain is taken aback, but then he smiles, reaching down to pat her on the head affectionately, ruffling half-up half-down do she had put her hair into.

"Well, if I said no, then your hard work would go to waste."

"They really weren't hard work, I—"

"Hey, these are pretty good!" Aomine goes to snatch another one, but Kotomi holds the container away.

"These are for everyone! Akashi-san, Midorima-san!" The two middle school players look over when called, having not noticed Kotomi entering the gym. "Try these-oh!" The weight occupying her hands is suddenly gone when she looks up, shocked to see that Murasakibara had snatched the container from her hands, picking up another ball and eating it. "Murasakibara-san!"

"Oi, you hog, don't eat them all!" Aomine runs after him, followed by Momoi.

"Mukkun, no!"

"Koto-chin made them for the team…"

"Yeah, you're one person!"

"Mine-chin can't count, anyway…"

"Hey, you guys cut that out!" Nijimura moves in to break up the fight that was spilling out. Kotomi hears Akashi chuckle as he approaches her from behind, Midorima close behind.

"It's so lively over here."

"It's a waste of time." Midorima crosses his arms indignantly, refusing to look at their manager. Kotomi turns to Midorima, becoming embarrassed when she remembers what occurred earlier in the day.

"Midorima-san, I'm so sorry about earlier. I suppose you're right. I need to study up on my Japanese…" Midorima pushes up his glasses, fiddling with his plush toy a little more before he sighs.

"I suppose it was rude of me to up and leave when I promised you a game." Kotomi covers her mouth to hide a giggle.

"Is that your way of apologizing to me?" Midorima huffs, shaking his head.

"Don't get the wrong idea. Now, what did you call us over here for?"

"Oh! The protein balls! Murasakibara-san!" Kotomi turns to run after the group that had just left. The purple giant was holding the container over his head, still popping them into his mouth and whining childishly, his free giant hand planted firmly against the force that was Aomine.

"Murasakibara…" Nijimura's voice held a note of warning. "It doesn't matter how good at basketball you are, if you don't stop right now…"

"Murasakibara-san! Those snacks are for everyone, please return it." He pouts childishly, shaking his head.

"I'm hungry."

"Mukkun, if you give them back, I'll make you some snacks too!" Momoi adds, missing the way Aomine tenses up and turns a little green.

"Satsuki…we need him to play."

"Eh!? What does that mean?"

"Murasakibara-san, if you give it back now, I'll treat you to ice cream after practice!" Murasakibara finally looks down at Kotomi, interest gleaming in his eyes, though he still seems unsure, so Kotomi decides to add: "I'll treat you to a crepe, as well. At any café you want." Kotomi is quite pleased when his eyes light up more than she's never seen them before as he finally hands the container back to her.

"I'll hold you to that, Koto-chin~"

"Give me your number after practice, alright? We can plan for it." Momoi gasps, throwing her arms around Kotomi again.

"I want to get ice cream too with you too, Ko-chan!"

"Oh, that sounds like fun! I'll join!" Aomine announces. "Hey, Fujisaki! Give me your number, too!" Kotomi wants to correct him on how he refers to her again, but something tells her that it would be like punching a brick wall.

"After practice, then! For now, I'd like everyone going to qualifiers to try this…" The other first-stringers gather around her, excited to try a snack before practice got really hard. They all seem to like it, even Midorima, who merely eats his share and heads back to the court, but Kotomi notices that he seems to move with a little more energy. Or maybe it was her imagination.

"Sorry to disrupt practice, captain. That wasn't my intention." Nijimura shrugs.

"I'll just make them run a few miles after."

"Ah…I see…"

 _So sorry, guys…_

 _ **~After Practice~**_

As bad as Kotomi feels for the players having to endure the captain's wrath, conjured by her unintentional disruption, she slips out to head to the third-string gym. She knew it would be cleared out by now, with only her phantom-like friend staying behind. Her hunch seems to be correct when she sees the lights still on in the gym, despite regular practice being over.

"Hello?" Kotomi slips inside, spotting Kuroko standing in the middle of the gym, unmoving. She looks a bit concerned as she approaches him, as he hasn't yet turned to face her. Did he not notice? "Kuroko-san?" He jumps a little but turns to face her with eyes wide in surprise.

"Fujisaki-san? When did you get here?"

"I've been here." Kotomi tries to stifle a giggle, realizing the roles have reversed for once, but she's still concerned about him. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Somehow, she doesn't believe that, but she knows better than anyone that pushing a subject when they didn't want to talk about it did more harm than good.

"I'm glad. I'm sorry I can't stay behind again, but I wanted to bring you these." She pulls out a small plastic baggie with three little protein balls inside. She places them in Kuroko's free hand. "I made them for the others for qualifiers, and there were a few left over." Kuroko looks quite surprised, a ghost of a smile turning the corners of his mouth up.

"They look tasty, I look forward to eating them." Kotomi pokes him in the side, though he doesn't react much, aside from a raised brow.

"You should really bulk up. Especially if you want to make first-string." _Sorry, Kuroko…_ she didn't want to pry, but…she did attempt a small dig to see if the core of his problem rested within his abilities. She suspects she's right, with the way he seems to deflate a little. Spend enough time with a tree in the forest, and you'll learn how its leaves sway in the wind. As mild-mannered as he is, Kotomi was learning what made him tick. "I look forward to seeing how you improve." She hears commotion coming from the other gym not too far from them, taking this as her signal to meet with the others. "I've got to go. I'll help you out next week?" She picks up her bag and heads for the door. She almost doesn't hear what he mutters in response.

"What if I don't…?" Kotomi regrets later in the night how she pretends she doesn't hear him, but she was sure it was for the better. He wouldn't have liked her answer; not to mention, by the expression on his face as the gym's door closed on her retreating glance over her shoulder, he already knew.

 _ **~Outside a nearby convenience store~**_

"Midorin! You joined us!" Momoi still hangs off Kotomi as she cooes happily at the sight of the bespectacled basketball player.

"What, no Akashi?" Aomine bites into his popsicle, licking his lips.

"He wanted to stay behind and talk to the captain. And I am not joining you, I just happened to want ice cream, I had no intention of joining you."

"But you're standing here and talking to us…" Aomine rolls his eyes. Ignoring him, Midorima points his plush toy at Murasakibara, suddenly changing his target.

"Murasakibara, you can't eat a whole box of popsicles. You haven't had dinner, yet."

"I can't waste these when Koto-chin bought them for me~ Besides, it doesn't affect my appetite at all~"

"You made her buy you a whole box!?"

"It's fine, really…" Kotomi laughs a little. It wasn't as if she spent her allowance on much, aside from a new book or a pair of earrings here and there. A box of popsicles wasn't really anything to be worried about.

"See, Mido-chin? Koto-chin is okay with it."

"It's fine," Aomine announces, waving his popsicle stick in the air. "She's loaded, isn't she? Ain't you some kind of richy rich girl, Kotomi?"

"Well, I suppose…?"

"That's besides the point. Don't you have any shame in letting a young girl buy ice cream for you?"

"It ain't got anything to do with her being a girl!"

"W-Well, at the very least, thank her!"

"Why're you being so pushy…" Kotomi feels like she should intervene, as the two of them were arguing on her behalf, but she's distracted by the long pair of arms that envelope both her and Momoi, since she was attached to her.

"Thanks, Koto-chin~" Kotomi feels her cheeks warm, though it doesn't pigment her face.

"I still owe you a crepe, Murasakibara-san." He seems to almost purr, and the image of a giant purple house cat appears in her head.

"I love you, Koto-chin~" Momoi gasps, her entire face warming her face. Aomine whistles in slight amusement, more interested in his popsicle, while Midorima looks absolutely mortified.

"You're all incorrigible…" Kotomi sighs and pats the long forearm resting across her chest, looking up into the indigo hues above her.

"Murasakibara-san, I can't breathe."

"Oh, sorry." He pulls away, starting on his beloved box of icy cold treats instead. Kotomi finally opens her melon flavored ice pop, finding herself staring at the other teens around her. She smiles to herself, feeling none of that awkwardness she felt when surrounded by her usual crowd. Typically, the children of business partners or young heirs and heiresses who either despised her for her family's success or worshipped her in the hopes of her favor in the future. She felt contentment, perhaps even happiness. She couldn't quite put a name to the way she was feeling just yet.

And that was okay.

 _ **~Back in Teiko's first-string gym~**_

"For just two people, this is almost too impressive." Nijimura admits, placing the papers down and watching the gameplay footage before them. Akashi sits across from him with a piercing gaze, expression neutral and body language calm. "Fujisaki Kotomi, huh? She's a good girl." He smiles fondly, though it's a gesture short-lived, as he turns to Akashi, eyes speaking of business.

"Alright, you've got a deal. If Fujisaki Kotomi's information pans out again, I'll make your request to the head coach. But she has to agree to it, too." Akashi nods in agreement. It wouldn't do if she was bothered by doubt in the position he selected her to be in.

"I don't think either of us will be disappointed, Nijimura-senpai." Akashi offers his hand. Nijimura finds himself smirking a little, as he reaches out as well, meeting the younger boy's hand and grasping it tightly.

"Seriously, how did we get so many ridiculous people, this year?" Their hands meet in the middle, signaling the beginning of a deal well struck.

 _ **~On the way home~**_

"Ko-chan, we part ways here, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Get home safely, your Lucky Item will protect you."

"Koto-chin, please bring more of those protein balls before we leave, okay?"

"Hey, be sure to answer the text I sent you, Kotomi." Aomine apparently decided he liked calling her by her first name, without consulting her, but she merely laughs.

"I will. See you guys around school, and best of luck in qualifiers!" She bows to them before hurrying off, finding herself humming and swinging her bag.

It wasn't until she gets home that she checks her phone to find the message sent to Aomine, only to find that she had 6 missed calls from the same number that had called her this morning, all within the last hour. How strange…the area code was from Japan, so it wasn't anyone from home. Kotomi is deleting the calls when her phone's screen shows her the same number once again. Kotomi sighs and presses the green phone icon, pressing her phone to her ear as she's shedding her uniform's pristine white blazer.

"Hello?" There's moment of silence, and then a deep sigh, before the voice finally reaches her ears.

"Good evening, Kotomi." Her face falls, good mood suddenly shattered to tiny pieces at her feet as she drops her blazer. There's another long silence on her end now. There's another questioning greeting and another silence following before she speaks, eyes empty and gazing at the wall across from her in the suddenly cold empty apartment. Her throat burns as she answers almost robotically.

"Good evening, father."

Notes:

 **Author's Notes** Uh oh! Kotomi's scumbag dad is here! What could he possibly want with the daughter he's neglected? Where's Fujita? Why isn't Kuroko improving? Was Murasakibara able to eat his dinner after all those popsicles? (yes) Also, we find out Kotomi isn't exactly Miss Sunshine with All the Right Answers for a Downtrodden anime boy :( Poor Kuroko!

Also! Question for y'all: Who do you think Kotomi could potentially have the best chemistry with? I'm curious as to what you think! Please let me know in a review!

1 A parody on a popular figure in Japan, Doraemon

2 Kotomi just used the phrase "君の事が好きだから" which is used in a romantic context, most notably when young people are admitting romantic feelings for one another for the first time. (hella awkward, lol)

3 LOL Yes a mention cameo be prepared for more of these because how can you not when it's so easy to connect the universes!?


	6. Busy Busy Bees Bumbling About

**Author's Note: *rises from the ashes, screeching* AND WE'RE BACK, FOLKS. Writing this was super hard, and honestly, I'm surprised by the support this story is getting. I'm going to start responding to reviews and follows and favorites after this chapter, because I want to interact with you guys! But I really want to get this out, because you all waited so long and were so patient with me. I just really got into the groove with** _What Lies Beyond the Plum Tree_ **and I didn't want to lose it. But don't worry! I'm not going to let this die out. I've always wanted to write out Kotomi's story in the KnB universe! So I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or its characters, all the content belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki, and published by Shueisha. I do not make any profit on this, and I only own my characters. Please support the official release.**

* * *

Kotomi felt as though she's been kicked in the gut. When her grandfather could move a little better and would demonstrate Taekwondo with her, his kicks would mercilessly assault her abdomen with an attack so strong that she was almost puking in front of his students. It did its job in forcing his students to realize the responsibility that came with the kind of power they held in their hands by learning martial arts.

It also taught Kotomi not to fear pain. Her grandfather's life lesson, passed down to every Fujisaki family head: "More powerful than pain is the fear of pain." But her grandfather said nothing for emotional pain. It was her Achilles' Heel. She could barely contain her rage as her father spoke her name again so innocently, as if he didn't understand her silence. It was so intense that the bile in her throat threatened to choke her when she opened her mouth to speak.

"You don't need to sound so formal with me, you know." Kotomi bites her lip and struggles to find what she wanted to say to this man.

"What do you want?" Her voice was quiet and even, but not because she felt anything of the sort. She was desperately trying to keep control over herself. If her voice cracked for even a moment, she would unravel.

"I just…I heard what Cordelia, your grandmother did." _Just now? She's been here for months, now._

"And…I wanted to know…are you okay?" Her finger is already hovering over the red phone icon, and she swallows hard. Don't lash out.

"Fine."

"Because I can—"

"Grandmother's word is law. If grandfather couldn't help me, how are you supposed to?" She can feel his flinch on the other side of the phone, and she feels some pride for it. If she was grateful for anything her maternal grandmother imparted upon her, it was the ability to speak with venom.

"I know, I just—Have you visited Sofu and Sobo, yet?"

"They're fine."

"And school is alright?"

"Is there a reason you called? I have a lot to do, and I don't have the time to be talking so leisurely." There's a pause on the end of the other line, and then an exasperated sigh.

"I know you don't like me," _That's an understatement._ "But I'm still your father."

"A degree from Kyoto University and that's the best you can offer me?" This time, when Takahiro speaks, she can hear his agitation with her attitude.

"Kotomi, _why_ did you block my number? That's—That's—You need to be in contact with all of us. You know that if you're in danger, I—"

"You'll what," Kotomi can't hide the disbelief in her voice, trying not to laugh, but it's a laugh that burns from her stomach to the tip of her tongue. "You'll drop everything and come running to my rescue? Like you did for Tomoki?"

"Kotomi—"

"You've just reached the beginning of the cycle. The guilt is kicking in again, but it'll go away when you get bored. Have you even called mother, or are you afraid that your tongue will slip? I assume you haven't exactly been chomping at the bit to call her?" Grandmother Cordelia would be proud of how cold she kept her tone, the fire of her anger raging on despite the winter she cast upon it.

"I know about the basketball team." Her entire body tenses. His voice was icy now, too. Regardless of what she thought of her father, some of her best parts came from his side of the family, and that included standing firm in the face of adversity, no matter from whom it came. "And that you're still dancing, too. Grandmother Cordelia wouldn't approve."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Whether you like it or not, I am your father, young lady,"

"You don't get to play that card whenever you—"

"I'm playing that card because I care about your safety. You're heir to our family, and you're a 13-year-old girl. As much as we try to keep that fact a secret, we don't know who knows what. We have _rivals,_ Kotomi. Rivals who have no qualms about hurting a little girl to get to us, so you'll need access to everyone, including me, because if you're in trouble _someone_ can get to you. We don't get the luxury of letting family drama get in the way of the future. That's you." Kotomi doesn't realize that the stinging pain in the palm of her hand is from her clenching her fist so tightly she's cutting into her skin.

"I wanted to see about visiting you in Tokyo, to talk about us, but I can see now that we're not ready yet."

"We never will be."

"Unblock my number." Kotomi blanches, almost laughing at the audacity the man had to speak to her as if he still held any kind of authority over her.

"You have some _nerve—_ "

"I'm still the the Reisaki family head until you're of age, don't underestimate me. If you're going to treat me like an enemy, then I'm going to be harsh with you."

"You _know_ that you are the last person allowed to lecture _me_ on fraternizing with enemies!"

"Just do as I say, young lady. Or I will be coming to see you, whether you like it or not." Kotomi bites back a snarl, her pretty blue eyes almost wide enough to pop out of her head. It was a terrifying sight, and she was glad she was the only one home at the moment.

"Father or not, if I even catch _wind_ of you in Tokyo, I will tell mother what you're up to."

"You won't, because you won't hurt Eliza like that."

"I won't let you do as you please, either! Try it!" Her façade cracks, and she chucks her phone at the wall, knowing her phone case would protect it. She takes advantage of the empty apartment to throw her little temper tantrum, throwing her bags on the floor and storming into her room, slamming the door behind her before throwing herself onto the bed.

Her head pounds from anger. She feels tears welling up behind her eyes, but she covers her face, taking a deep breath. No tears. _No tears. No tears._

When they never come, she finally deflates, her shoulders aching from tensing for so long. Kotomi stares blankly up at the ceiling, letting the sounds of bustling Tokyo lull her into an exhausting sleep.

* * *

 _ **From: Madoka 6:43 AM**_

 _ **To: Fujisaki Kotomi**_

 **Hey, kiddo. Sorry, but Riina is caught up at a last-minute re-shoot, and Ichiro is helping me deliver the giveaway merch, do you think you could pick up the costumes from her? The Zunon Boy studio isn't too far from Teiko. Please!**

Kotomi practically sprints out the door, carrying a variety of things as she does through her to-do list for the day:

Drop protein snacks off with Momoi until the game tomorrow.

Pick up costumes from Riina.

Stop by studio to set up water bottles and drop off costumes for dress rehearsal

Mock exams are coming up: Review Science!

While she would love to be a dancer in this benefit event, a livestream on Madoka's OurTube raising money for a scholarship to bring talented students from in L.A from low-income families to Japan, she couldn't appear on video dancing. Her grandmother would be furious.

At the very least, Kotomi could help with the technicalities and the dress rehearsal. She hadn't had a chance to really dance her heart out in a while, and after last night's debacle, she could really use an outlet. She never unblocked his number, and as fickle as her father was, there was no telling if we would actually follow through with his threat.

But that was a concern for another day.

* * *

"Momoi-san, here."

"Mou, Kotomi-chan, we've been on the team for a while already, just call me Satsuki! Momoi gushes when she retrieves the box of treats from the raven-haired manager who came to visit during lunch time, looking up at her with a bright smile. Her smile fades, however, as she looks into Kotomi's eyes. Kotomi's brow furrows in response as she tilts her head.

"Momoi-san?"

"Are you…okay, Kotomi-chan? You look tired." It's Kotomi's turn to be bewildered for just a moment, but she only smiles politely, giggling.

"Ehh? What makes you say that?"

"I don't know, maybe it's just me." Oh. Momoi Satsuki was much more intuitive than she thought.

"A lot's going on this weekend, perhaps I'm just stressed about the qualifiers and something my godmother is asking me for help with."

"Oh, you live with your godmother?" Kotomi nods, keeping her smile despite her unease. So many questions she didn't feel like answering, but she didn't want to complicate her relationship with the first-string's manager, either.

"I do. How are you so okay being so busy, Satsuki-chan?" Momoi's eyes light up as she throws her arms around Kotomi, squeezing her and spinning her happily.

"You finally said it, Kotomi-chan!"

"Uwah, Satsuki-chan, the food!" Kotomi tries not to look too relieved, letting Momoi spin her. There was no need to embroil anyone in the emotionally stunted dysfunction that was the Fujisaki/Reinwalt family. Besides, she wouldn't deny that she liked Momoi's bubbly nature. If calling her Satsuki made her happy, it was no penalty on Kotomi's part. But perhaps less spinning would be nice.

"I'm going to call you Koto-chan, okay? I won't let you say no!"

"Alright, I give in!"

* * *

Kotomi carries a bag of yakisoba bread, Fujita's favorite, to his classroom at lunch time that day. She hadn't seen or texted him in almost two weeks now, not even when he was sick. She hadn't seen him in practice, either, which was odd. As tough as practice was, he loved it. She knocks on the door of class 1-D, poking her head in.

"Excuse me, is Fujita-kun here?" Instead of her blonde friend, another voice calls out to her form behind, which almost makes her jump out of her skin.

"Fujisaki-san?" Kotomi whirls around, cornflower blue meeting powder blue, the former widened in shock of the appearance of the latter.

"Kuroko-san! How long have you been in this class?"

"I've always been. You're looking for Fujita-kun?" Kotomi nods her head, tilting her head slightly. She was getting to the point that she wasn't going to question how he had been here all this time and yet she never really noticed.

"Yes, that's right. But it's good to see you too, how is practice going? I'm sorry I haven't been around to help." Her interest is piqued when she notices a glint in his eyes. There was a kind of eagerness to him, and was that a smile? What had she missed?

"It's alright, you seem quite busy."

"Kuroko-san, you have no idea, I can't seem to find time to breathe…" Kuroko opens his mouth to say something else, but Kotomi is quickly distracted when she notices a familiar silhouette of messy hair, though now blonde, laying on one of the desks.

"There he is! Fujita-kun! You dyed your hair again?" The head pops up to reveal a familiar face. Kotomi can't help but noticed that he looked a little paler than she last remembered him, which was odd considering how sunny it's been lately.

"Fujisaki-chan! What brings you to our neck of the woods?" Kotomi immediately takes notice of the lack of energy in his voice, though she can't help the smile when he stands up and approaches her. His uniform seemed a little baggier on him.

 _He's lost weight, too…?_ "How many times have you been scolded today?" She keeps her smile for him as he approaches.

"Don't avoid my question, and the teachers have given up on me, so none!

"That's not a good thing…"

"I'm not gonna question it! Now, what brings the lady of the Third String to a dump like this?" Someone looks over and glares at Fujita, puffing her cheeks out.

"Oi! Don't be calling our class a dump, you Yankee!" Fujita flinches and looks hurt at this, puffing sticking out his bottom lip and whining like a kicked puppy.

"Hey! I think I look pretty cool!" Kotomi laughs at Fujita being scolded and Kuroko finds himself staring, though it seems his presence has diminished again, because she doesn't notice. He hasn't seen the two of them together in a while, and he had forgotten how much Kotomi brightens up when she's with Fujita. Kotomi taps her friend on the shoulder and holds up the bag of bread.

"I've come bearing peace offerings! Want to come to the roof?" He looks rather surprised, and then he grins brightly, the Fujita she met the first day returning with a fury. He links his arm with hers and practically drags her up the stairs.

"And here I was thinking you've forgotten about us small folk!"

"I could never," Kotomi laughs as she tries to keep up with his bouncy energy. She looks to Kuroko, in a good mood.

"Kuroko-san, want to join us?" He doesn't seem quite affected by her sudden invitation, but he does look down at his lunch in contemplation.

"I don't want to impose…"

"I invited you, it's not imposing at all."

"The lady has spoken!" Fujita links his other arm with Kuroko, dragging him along with ease and little complaining from the blue haired boy.

"Come on, Kuroko-kun!"

"You're already pulling me."

"Just give in, Kuroko-san. There's no use!" The way Kotomi grins at him, Kuroko finds himself averting his eyes and nodding.

"If you say so, Fujisaki-san."

* * *

"Ahh, sweet carbs, come to me…" Fujita sighs in bliss, though it's muffled with his mouth full of yakisoba bread.

"Should I leave and give you two some space?" Kotomi says through her melon bread while scrolling through her phone.

"No, food tastes better with friends, you're part of the experience, too! You're always so busy with your nerd squad, I haven't had time to eat with you in a while." Kotomi feels the twinge of guilt in her heart and she looks down.

"I'm sorry, I've just been so busy, and—" She stops when Fujita raises a hand to her, and she purses her lips. There was no use in apologizing. It wasn't as if she was doing it on purpose, after all.

"I'm not blaming you. When you're smart, you've gotta use that brain of yours, right? It's good for society and all that fun stuff." He shrugs, taking another big bite and talking with a mouth full of bread as he looks at Kuroko, who is politely nibbling at his bento.

"Right, Kuroko-kun?"

"Yes."

"…You don't talk much, do you?"

"No." Kotomi giggles at this and Fujita raises a brow with suspicion.

"I'm starting to think you're doing that on purpose." Kuroko gives him a look before taking a bite out of his food again, saying nothing. Fujita shakes his head with a grin before continuing his train of thought.

"Besides, how can I be mad when you've brought peace offerings? Now that I can eat without throwing up, I'm always starving!"

"Are you alright, now? I heard you've been sick." Fujita won't look at her, finishing off a bread already and digging into the next one, as if trying to keep his mouth full.

"Yeah. I guess practice took a bigger toll on me than I thought it would. I wasn't taking care of myself." Kotomi looks concerned about this, but ruining the mood felt like the worst thing to do at this moment. It was her first time really being able to relax in a while. But it seems like Fujita had his own concerns to share.

"I just can't seem to advance, no matter how hard I try. That Haizaki guy made it no problem, why am I having such a difficult time?" Fujita shrugs it off, but Kotomi doesn't miss the expression on Kuroko's face.

"I understand how you feel," the other young man admits. "I too am having a difficult time just keeping up. And Aomine-san has been practicing with me lately. It's fun, but it only reminds me more and more of the distance between our skills." Kotomi suddenly feels as if her desire to input has left the room. Instead, she watches the both of them, listening intently. They both seemed so determined, so unfazed, that she forgot that she isn't the only one who hides her e

"It's not like I expect to be their ace or anything, but I want to play in the big-league games. I guess us normal guys will have to wait our turns, huh? If it ever comes."

"It will, I'm sure. I'll do my best too." Kuroko asserts, but Kotomi can't help but feel that he was convincing himself more than convincing Fujita. And she didn't blame him. Extra practices? And how long has Aomine been helping him? The both of them confused her so much, and to see them so passionate without their desired results left a bad taste in her mouth. So she's surprised when Fujita perks up, shoving more bread into his mouth.

"But it is really cool watching them, too! That Aomine can dunk as a middle schooler, you know! I would love to get some pointers!" That shine returns to Kuroko's eyes as he nods in calmer agreement.

"Aomine-kun is really amazing. He really loves basketball, and one-on-ones with him are frustrating, but really fun."

"Seriously!? Man, you're so lucky!"

"You should join us, sometime."

"I'm surprised you can even practice after the hell the coaches put us through. Don't you throw up at practice?"

"I'm getting better." Kuroko sounds slightly embarrassed by this. Kotomi watches their back and forth, unknowingly smiling more and more with every exchange. When the two of them finally remember that she's there, for once, Kuroko looks almost startled.

"Fujisaki-san, sorry, we've been leaving you out."

"Oh, no! Don't mind me. I like listening to you talk like this, it makes me a little envious."

"Envious?" Kuroko repeats for the both of them, as Fujita looks at her with equal amount of confusion. Kotomi nods in response. She hadn't really meant to let that slip, so she averts her gaze, her fingers finding a lock of her hair and twirling it mindlessly in her fingers. She must be more tired than she thought if she was sharing so much so casually.

"You can be jealous of people? Even though you're a female android?" Fujita dodges the empty carton of strawberry milk she throws his way, huffing in annoyance.

"Of your ambition, I suppose." Kotomi returns to looking at her phone, but the two males exchange a look of concern.

"Have you…ever felt like you wanted something, Fujisaki-san?" Kotomi hums thoughtfully, looking up at the sky. When was the last time anyone has asked her something like that?

"Of course I have, but…" A humorless chuckle escapes her throat as she closes her eyes. "Well, I suppose not enough to fight for it…"

"Fujisaki-san…do you like basketball?"

"No, actually…I think I hate it." Kotomi answers this so quickly that the resulting silence feels like an eternity in comparison. She suddenly wants to drop the topic, it made her stomach churn, especially with the lingering resentment from last night's unexpected, unwelcome caller.

"So why join, then? Don't you want to go do something you like?" Fujita asks quietly. He had no idea Kotomi disliked basketball. He just assumed she was interested, since she knew so much about it. Kotomi's expression seems to empty, her eyes carefully scanning from side to side as if she was searching for something.

"I don't particularly like anything. It's just something to test myself and pass the time, this club." The only thing she could think of 'liking' was dance, but she already felt like she sounded pitiful enough. She couldn't tell them that her grandmother would never allow it. She stands up, patting down her skirt and picking up her trash.

"But I think that's precisely why I want to root for you guys. So I think I'll stick around a little longer. I have to watch and make sure you two don't die, after all."

"Well, if that keeps you here, fine by me! I'll just live my life in constant peril. Keeps you on your toes." Kotomi giggles at this, but Kuroko doesn't seem to be done with the conversation topic.

"Fujisaki-san, that way of thinking…doesn't it get a little lonely?" Suddenly, the smile falls from Kotomi's face, the empty hallway flashing before her eyes. Her mouth opens before she can cover up that ugly emotion rearing its ugly head.

"I have a lot to do, I'll see you two later." Without waiting for a reply, she's gone. Fujita and Kuroko exchange the same bewildered furrowing of brows, but Fujita voices his thoughts first.

"I've never seen her like that before." He admits, looking down at the ground again, pulling his knees closer to his chest. "She always seems so happy."

"Only when she's near you, Fujita-san. Otherwise, Fujisaki-san…" Kuroko's voice trails off, and he shakes his head. He felt it wasn't his business to make assumptions about someone he didn't know all too well. As far as he knew, she was a manager who hated basketball. And yet she took the time to help him at practice, do research, make snacks. She went out of her way for the team, so did she really hate the sport? And how does she know so much about it, anyway?

"What? She what?"

"No, I'm not quite sure yet. But I think I upset her. What should I do?"

"I'm not sure, she's never made that face around me, before."

Kuroko watches the door the dark-haired teen exited through, pursing his lips slightly. He wasn't sure what to make of Fujisaki Kotomi. At first glance, she seemed like just another student, but sometimes he got the sense that she was different, if only a little more reserved. All he knew was that he wanted to understand what it was that made her hate basketball, and what it was that kept her coming back to it.

* * *

"Welcome to Zunon Boy HQ, how may I help you?" The receptionist greets Kotomi politely when she arrives after school. Kotomi ignores the looks from the people as she walks in, understanding that they likely recognized who she was. Reisaki Corporation, a merger between the Reinwalt law firm and the Fujisaki conglomerate, was a frequent collaborator and sponsor of the famous cultural and lifestyle magazine, after all.

"I'm here to see Shimada Riina, I have to pick something up from her."

"Of course, please proceed to the 9th floor." Kotomi bows politely and heads for the elevators, stepping inside and hitting the clear circle encasing the desired floor number. She was still uneasy about the direction the conversation took at lunch. Surely Kuroko had been offended by her behavior. But in truth, she had panicked and despised the way she fled the scene. It was cowardly. She would have to apologize to him, later. He asked an innocent question, there was no reason to treat him the way she did.

 _I'm acting just like Ayato and Father._ Kotomi thinks bitterly, pursing her lips. Kotomi hears the elevators ding to inform her that she had reached the 9th floor, pulling her out of her self-chastising long enough to step out. She isn't expecting to be blocked by a much taller frame, which she walks right into.

"Oh! Sorry, I-" The voice was male, and Kotomi immediately recognizes the white blazer and pale blue accents. A blonde head turns to face her, revealing a beautiful young man with hair so golden it put the people in the UK to shame. His eyes were like honey, and his eyelashes were quite long. And he was tall. There was no mistaking that he was a model.

Kotomi vaguely recognizes him from the Zunon Boy magazines she spotted at convenience stores, or on the desks of her female classmates. She must have been staring, because his smile fades and he rubs the back of his head, seeming quite embarrassed.

"Sorry, do you think you could wait outside?" Kotomi blinks a few times, processing for a long moment. Was he talking to her? When she doesn't respond, the young man tries again.

"I don't mind signing autographs or taking pictures with you, but it's really troublesome for me if you come to my work like this. I promise that I'll give you some time if you just wait outside until I'm done!" He chuckles, but he seems quite serious, and Kotomi suddenly feels the prickling sensation of irritation building in her stomach toward this beautiful young man.

"I think I'm good right here." His smile fades, and he looks annoyed now, as demonstrated by his exasperated sigh.

"You go to Teiko? We can talk about his in school, can't we?"

"There's nothing to talk about." He outright frowns now, brow furrowing in irritation of his own. Kotomi responds with an impassive visage that would give Kuroko a run for his money. She wasn't about to spell out his conceited imagination for him.

"Look, please, I don't want any trouble, I-"

"Kise-kun, you're here!" The blonde boy suddenly steps in front of her, blocking her from view of the approaching employee, whose voice Kotomi recognized.

"Yes, I'm here. Sorry I was a little late. I just-"

"Oh my, did you bring your girlfriend here with you?" She feels the young man tense, and Kotomi can't help but roll her eyes.

"No, she's just-"

"Riina-nee, I'm here for Madoka's costumes?" Kotomi pokes her head out at the same time that Kise moves aside, finally letting her see Ichirou's designer girlfriend. Shimada Riina was a stylish, cute woman with silky straight mocha brown hair and bright, spring green eyes set round sockets and accented by long lashes that grew downward, giving her a sleepy look. The woman claps her hands in delight.

"Kotomi-chan! Oh, so I heard Ichi right! You're in Japan, how wonderful!" The woman is immediately grooming and tidying Kotomi's uniform and hair, fluffing the waves of her dark hair and smoothing down her flyaway hairs. Riina then hugs Kotomi tightly, nuzzling the top of her hair and undoing all her work done seconds ago. She squeals quietly and Kotomi giggles a little, cheeks pink. Riina was a great hugger.

"You just get prettier every time I see you!"

"You're too kind."

"How's school?"

"It's fine." The middle school aged model blanches as he watches their exchange, shock turning to embarrassment to mortification. So she hadn't been there for him?

"The costumes are already packed and ready to go. I'll go get them, okay?"

"Thank you, Riina-nee." As the designer and stylist runs off, Kotomi turns to Kise with a polite smile that made him squirm under her gaze.

"Shall we try our introductions again?"

"Huh?" Kotomi steps in front of him and bows politely, straightening her back and keeping the same smile plastered on her face.

"Fujisaki Kotomi, Class 1-A. And you're…?'

"Kise Ryota. Fujisaki-san, I'm really sorry about that. I just thought-" Kotomi raises a hand, shaking her head, her smile becoming less forced as she sighs.

"I understand. But I'm introducing myself to you now, so you don't make the same mistake again. Is that alright?" He relaxes at this, though he still looks quite uncomfortable. She always regrets that she didn't have that soothing nature that seemed to come naturally to her mother.

"Yeah, thanks for understanding."

"It's hard to be in the spotlight, sometimes, isn't it? It feels overwhelming, sometimes. I react the same way to others without even realizing it." Kise tilts his head slightly at this, opening his mouth to ask what she meant by that.

"Kotom-chan, here you are!" Riina returns with six outfits in each hand, suspended all at once from a carousel hanger. "They're pretty heavy, are you sure you can bring these all the way to the studio?" Kotomi reaches out and takes them, holding them up and lifting them up and down to test the weight.

"Hmm, it should be fine. I think I can make it. If not, I can take a taxi."

"You're such a reliable girl. It's a real shame you don't have a boyfriend." Riina grins and grabs Kotomi's shoulders, turning her toward Kise again and giggling.

"Why don't you date Kise-kun, here? Don't you think she's pretty?" Both teens look quite uncomfortable, avoiding the other's gaze as they laugh nervously.

"Well, I'm not really looking to date-"

"Riina-nee, Kise-san is a model, correct? I couldn't do the girls of Tokyo the disservice of stealing him away." Kotomi laughs, pulling away and bowing politely to the both of them. "I'll be going now, otherwise Madoka might be troubled. She glances at Kise, offering an extra nod before she turns to enter the elevator as it's opening again.

"She's your sister, Shimada-san?" Kise asks, staring after the young girl long after she's disappeared. He was still quite bewildered by her. Riina looks back at him with a curious expression.

"Oh! No, she's the goddaughter of my boyfriend, but I babysat her sometimes when we were younger. But I didn't know she was living in Tokyo, I just thought she was visiting. You've never seen her before?"

"I don't think so." Riina giggles at the lost expression on Kise's face, and when he notices, he replaces it with a handsome, but sheepish grin.

"It would be hard to forget a cute face like that. But she seems a little..." He isn't quite sure how to finish his sentence without being too rude. Sensing his sentiment, Riina's smile falls just a little. It would be imperceptible to almost anyone who wasn't as observant as Kise.

"She has a difficult home life, so she's had to grow up a little faster than some. But she's a good girl. I was just joking about dating her, but I hope you can maybe get along with her at school."

 _Ah, I'm not really interested in being anyone's therapist, though. That sounds tiresome._ Kise can't help but think. But he didn't want to offend the designer, so he simply smiles and nods politely. Riina brightens at this and claps her hands.

"You're the best, Kise-kun! Oh! Let's go take your measurements, yes?"

"Sure thing!" Kise's bubbly energy returns as follows the young woman. This far into the school year and this was the first time he was meeting Fujisaki Kotomi, which likely meant it would be a while before he met her again. He didn't mind being nice to her, but he wasn't particularly interested in being friends, or anything more.

 _But, she was a little more interesting, at least…_ Either way, it was just an anomaly in a life where nothing seemed to excite him.

* * *

 _ **From: Akashi Seijurou 10:43 PM**_

 _ **To: Fujisaki Kotomi**_

 **We won nationals. Your observations were spot on, once again. I'd like to speak with you about something regarding your position as manager. Will you be in Kyoto this weekend? Allow me to accompany you.**

 _ **From: Fujisaki Kotomi 11:00 PM**_

 _ **To: Akashi Seijurou**_

 **Amazing! Congratulations, Akashi-kun! You guys worked hard. I'm glad my notes were useful to you, but I wouldn't have been able to provide so much without Momoi's data. I won't be in Kyoto this weekend. But I'm helping my godmother in Tokyo, so shall we meet and talk there?**

 _ **From Momoi Satsuki 11:14 PM**_

 _ **To: Fujisaki Kotomi**_

 **We won, Ko-chan! I can't believe it! Everyone was amazing! I wish you could have been there to see it. Your notes were so accurate, it was like you predicted the future! I hope you'll be able to come to our games more often, because being surrounded by boys is so annoying! ( ; - ; ) Also, could you send me the recipe for those protein balls? Dai-chan thinks I would make them taste awful! How horrible is he?**

 _ **From: Fujisaki Kotomi 11:23 PM**_

 _ **To: Momoi Satsuki**_

 **I heard! I would like to hear more about it, especially with how well the observations went, in your opinion. Let's have lunch together next time! Or, we could try to make the protein balls together. Let's prove Aomine-san wrong! Fight, Sa-chan! ~**

 _ **From: Kuroko Tetsuya 11:40 PM**_

 _ **To: Fujisaki Kotomi**_

 **I'm sorry if I offended you, today. That wasn't my intention. I would like to get along with you, Fujisaki-san, so I don't want any bad feelings to linger between us. You don't have to tell me about the things that bother you, but it's okay to tell me when I'm being too nosy, right?**

 _ **From: Fujisaki Kotomi 12:23 AM**_

 _ **To: Kuroko Tetsuya**_

 **I'm sorry, I reacted poorly. The question just caught me off guard. It's no excuse, but I hope you won't think less of me. I respect you, Kuroko-san. I may not like basketball itself, but watching you makes it interesting! I don't think you're nosy, but I will try to communicate myself better to you when I'm uncomfortable. I will come and see you and Aomine-san in the gym! Let's practice together. Maybe we can help you improve your times if we work on the differences between you and Aomine-san.**

 _ **From: Madoka 12:25 AM**_

 _ **To: Fujisaki Kotomi**_

 **Thanks for dropping off the costumes, kiddo. Dress rehearsal went well, but I think they're still not solid on the bridge's choreography. Clear that up with them when you rehearse again on Saturday. Also, I can hear you tapping away on your phone. Go to bed.**

 _ **From: Fujisaki Kotomi 12:26 AM**_

 _ **To: Madoka**_

 **I'm surprised you can hear without your hearing aid.**

* * *

Kotomi smirks and giggles to herself when she hears a bang on the wall above her head, where the living room was situated. She imagined her godmother had thrown a shoe at the wall or something. Finally responding to her last message, Kotomi sets the phone beside herself with a yawn, turning over and finally settling in for the night. There was so much to do, and so little time to do it. As she drifts off into a deep sleep, her phone lights up one more time with a new message, but she doesn't stir.

* * *

 _ **From: Fujita-kun 12:32 AM**_

 _ **To: Fujisaki Kotomi**_

 **Hey, could I confess something to you?**

 _ **From: Fujisaki Kotomi 6:45 AM**_

 _ **To: Fujita-kun**_

 **Sorry, I was exhausted, and I fell asleep right away. Were you alright?**

 _ **From: Fujita-kun 3:13 PM**_

 _ **To: Fujisaki Kotomi**_

 **Yeah! Don't worry about it. It wasn't really a big deal. :)**

 **Author's Note: What could Fujita have wanted to say? At least it seems like Kotomi and Kuroko have made up, right? Also, Kise and Kotomi had a less than friendly first encounter! I actually wasn't expecting that. Kotomi's awkward pretention and Kise's misunderstanding made for a really interesting dynamic I wasn't expecting to write out. I love characters who rip the scene right out of my fingers and take control!**

 **Please leave reviews? 3**


	7. Shadows and Moons

**Author's Note:** **WOWOW, I was not expecting this to become as popular as it has, but here we are. Thank you to those of you who have started following me and favoriting me. Also, thank you for the reviews you've left so far. I'm sorry I didn't respond to your support. I was trying to figure this whole author thing out, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it! So a special thanks to my very first follower,** Ebony'n'Ivory Angel, **my very first favorite** GM12, **and my very first review from** Ebony'n'Ivory Angel **! But also, thank you to the rest of you, too, for following Kotomi in her story! From now on I'll be doing a thank you segment and a review response segment with every chapter of every story I do from hereon out! I look forward to talking with you guys some more! For now, enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or its characters, all the content belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki, and published by Shueisha. I do not make any profit on this, and I only own my characters. Please support the official release.**

* * *

 **Shadows and Moons**

The energetic beat cuts out abruptly, causing the entourage of young dancers to stop. The array of college, high school, and middle school students cease their synchronized movements as the young teen before them claps her hands once.

"Okay!" She calls out in a loud, clear voice. "I can see where the problem is." She starts to weave her way through out the 'X' formation that the dancers took, looking over their forms as they stay as still as physically possible, as if her words and the music gave them command over their bodies.

"You guys are dancing together, but you're not dancing _together."_ When all she receives is blank stares and heads cocked to the side, Kotomi changes her wording. She supposed the emphasis wasn't the same in Japanese as it would be in English. "Just because you're doing the same moves, it doesn't mean you're moving in harmony with one another as a group. It still looks disconnected, because you're not concerned about what the others are doing."

"But why should we be? What if watching others trips us up?"

"Then you're not practicing hard enough." Kotomi says simply in response to the anonymous question that some people seem to nod in agreement with. "You are all strong individually, but that doesn't mean anything if you can't pull off a performance with other people. Learn the moves, let them become second nature. And then adjust yourselves to each other."

"How do we know who to adjust ourselves, too?" Kotomi smiles, having expected this question. She points directly at a stylish young woman with blonde hair and amber brown eyes. A murmur of confusion echoes through the crowd.

"But she's a high schooler," someone protests. "Shouldn't we follow the eldest? She's standing in the middle."

"Not necessarily. I was watching you all. What is your name?" Kotomi asks the student, who looks around, obviously uncomfortable with the attention she was getting.

"M-Mikoto."

"The cleanest parts of the routine were when people were unconsciously following Mikoto-chan. Age doesn't have anything to do with talent, nor should it define who 'deserves' the role of leader. Her movements are so eye-catching, that not even her fellow dancers can't help but follow in her footsteps. So," Kotomi turns to Mikoto, smiling gently as she claps her hands once.

"Can I trust you to be a good leader for this number, Mikoto-chan?" The girl's eyes light up, and she nods and straightens her back a little. Her eyes shine a little brighter as she responds louder than before.

"Yes Ma'am!"

"Good. Now, again from the beginning! I'm going to put Mikoto-chan in front; don't follow me. Understood?"

"Yes Ma'am!" Kotomi walks over to the player, another dancer leans over to Mikoto, whispering in the teen's ear.

"Hey, isn't she so cool? Even though she's younger than us…" Mikoto can't help but nod, a little tense from the responsibility, but also awed and touched by Kotomi's revelation.

"She noticed all that from watching us dance…" Mikoto looks back at their real instructor, Madoka, who is standing by on break. She glances back at her students and grins, offering a thumbs up before she goes back to looking at her phone, with the music's beat starting up again. Kotomi's voice pulling the dance students out of their confusion.

"From the top, watch Mikoto-chan! Five, six, seven, eight!"

* * *

Kotomi just barely escapes the awe-struck middle schoolers after class, changing out of her dance clothes and into her street clothes, a zip-up hoodie, a mock turtleneck, denim shorts and high-tops in the supply closet. Once she's finished, she ties her hair into half-up half-down do rather than the ponytail it was previously in before. Sneaking out the backdoor, Kotomi descends the fire escape of the two-story building, where Madoka had her studio. Normally, she would stay and chat and answer questions for as long as the other students wanted, but today she had plans.

"Fujisaki-san." Kotomi turns around, about to greet her red-headed classmate, but her greeting falls short, morphing into a small 'o' of surprise. Cornflower blue eyes scan upwards as she regards the tall, violet-headed presence now standing beside Akashi, already munching away on snacks.

"Murasakibara-san…?"

"Koto-chin, good morning…" Kotomi tries not to correct him again. At this point, she's accepted that changing the way he addressed her was just too much work for the indolent adolescent. But what was he doing here?

"Sorry, Fujisaki-san, he insisted on coming when I accidentally mentioned it at practice on Friday. He said something about you owing him…?"

"Oh, yes, I owe him sweets." _Though, that was more a bribe to get him to not eat all the snacks she made for everyone…_ "That's quite alright, of course Murasakibara-san can join us."

"I wasn't planning on leaving, even if you said no." Kotomi finds herself laughing wryly, shaking her head, though there wasn't much annoyance to shake off with the motion. A harmless change of plans.

They head to Goatee Grandpa's1, a nice little choux crème place in the city,2 which served crepe cakes and cream puffs that Kotomi just adored. She had quite the sweet tooth herself, after all. Akashi attempts to reign in Murasakibara at the ordering line, but he still racks up quite the bill with his insistence that since it was a new place, he had to try everything on the menu. It was of no consequence to Kotomi, however, who pays without blinking an eye, further bewildering the already flabbergasted cashier and customers behind her.

"Is she some foreign princess or something…?"

"Maybe she's yakuza…" As they settle down, Kotomi watches with interest as Murasakibara quickly wolfs down 3 fist sized crème puffs and a slice of crepe cake. He seems quite satisfied, licking his lips with a dreamy expression, as if he's found true love. And Kotomi merely sips at her Lady Grey tea as if watching her favorite program, while Akashi completely ignores the crème flying everywhere on their table.

"How is it?"

"Mm, it's really good. The crème is a good consistency. It doesn't run when I bite into it, but it's not too thick. I could drink it like water…"

"Though I don't think you should do that…but I'm glad you can appreciate it. It's surprisingly light for its size and the denseness of the crème, but they have a seasonal yuzu flavor that I used to love growing up in Kyoto. It's quite refreshing, I could probably eat a whole box of them on my own!"

"Yuzu flavor, I'll have to try it sometime …" Murasakibara starts to drool on the table. Kotomi laughs quietly. She turns to the basketball captain, hands folded politely in her lap.

"So Akashi-san, what did you want to talk to me about?" The redhead nods, setting down his own tea and regarding her with a cool, but intrigued interest.

"I'd like you to become a strategist for the first-string." He gets right to the point. There's a beat of silence as Kotomi doesn't find the proposition that outlandish, though she is quite surprised he called her out to offer such a thing to her.

"I…well, it would be interesting. Of course, I'll do what we can for the team."

"That's good to hear. Of course, this means you'll be working less with the Third String. You should start coming to the First-String Gym from now on, effective immediately." Kotomi nods absentmindedly, but when it actually starts to register, she's quite shocked.

"I'm making good progress with Third String, though."

"It wouldn't be all the time. Momoi-san is already there, so we don't need you to be there every single practice. Specifically, we only need you for practice games and official matches. Otherwise, we'd like you to do research and make your observations. You're free to decide where your time is best spent, but you priority officially would be the First String."

"Are you sure it's alright for me to just up and move like this?" Kotomi asks carefully. "I mean, shouldn't we ask Captain Nijimura?"

"I already spoke with him and the coaches, and they both agree the team could only benefit from your increased presence. They trust my judgement as both your classmate and vice-captain. Besides, you have good rapport with the other team members. You'll be good for morale."

"If that's the case, then…vice-captain!?" Kotomi almost jumps up, if it were not for the eyes already on them thanks to Murasakibara mindless wiping his now empty plate and sticking his fingers in his mouth. However, her eyes are still wide and help mouth is hanging open. "W-when did this happen…?"

"After nationals." Akashi seems amused by her outburst. "I understand if you feel I am not capable…"

"No, of course that's not it!" Kotomi puffs her cheeks out in annoyance as Akashi coughs, quite obviously hiding a laugh behind his fist.

"I was joking…" Kotomi's cheeks turn pink and she pouts even further, shaking her head.

"It's a little strange to hear you make jokes like that, Akashi-kun."

"Sorry, it's not my forte." Kotomi takes her seat again and clears her throat. She didn't want to encourage his teasing, but she did actually find the way he laughed afterward cute.

"If you believe I'll be helpful then…alright, I accept. If I can bring victory to the school this way, please use my abilities as you see fit." Akashi smiles, holding out his hand for her to shake. She takes it with a slightly raised brow. He really acted more like the men her grandparents convened with rather than a middle school student, at times.

"I look forward to working with you, Fujisaki-san."

"Okay, are we done now? Koto-chin, could I have more cream puffs?" Kotomi looks at the empty plate that's pushed before her, and she laughs slightly.

"Murasakibara, I think that's enough. You'll make yourself sick."

"I agree, Murasakibara-san. You're a player, you shouldn't be eating so much."

"Eh…" If he were a dog, Murasakibara's ears and tail would droop, his eyes falling downcast. As tall as he was, he seemed to know exactly what to do to pull the heartstrings of people around him. Kotomi is suddenly reminded of the crowds of people who often surrounded him with baked goods and snacks. Seems like basketball wasn't his only talent…and it seems it works on her too. She feels like she's just kicked a puppy who was begging for table scraps.

"…Okay, I'll get you one more, and that's it."

"Alright…!" Akashi sighs disapprovingly.

"You shouldn't spoil him Fujisaki-san."

"It's just this once, Akashi-kun."

"If you spoil him once, he'll expect it all the time."

"You're right, but…"

"Oi, Aka-chin, you're ruining it, stop talking!" The people in the café listen to their exchange, further confused by the middle schoolers who both looked like they belonged on the cover of some kind of Town and Country magazine, but with a large, overgrown teen boy as their child.

 _Why are they acting like parents….?_

* * *

Monday, Late afternoon

" **So, $70,000 from the benefit, subtracting 8 costumes, the lighting crew, the camera crew…plus our month's income in merch…that's a total profit of $59,000...and the event merch will be restocking, with 221 people on the backorder list at $15 a shirt…"** People stare at Kotomi as she mutters while she walks, face in a savings book, pen moving a mile a minute. The speed was impressive enough, but the fact that she was speaking completely in English was truly a spectacle, even for those who were aware of her mixed heritage. She ended up staying after afternoon practice for much longer than she intended. She stayed to clean up with First String, but she wanted to have these calculations to hand to Madoka as soon as she got home. She's so caught up in her task, that she fails to notice the lingering club members of other clubs staring in bewilderment as she walks by them towards the school's exit.

"Oi, Kotomi." She doesn't hear the voice calling her name the first time, nor the second time. So Kotomi is quite shocked when she walks right into someone's chest, a pair of tanned hands gripping her shoulders gently. She's surprised to see Aomine approaching her, mostly because she hardly ever saw him in school, and also because they didn't talk very often even if they did happen to see each other. "I've been lookin' all over for you."

"Oh! Aomine-san…I thought you went home already." He shakes his head. He is still in his gym clothes, and he was still sweaty.

"What can I help you with?" He approaches her, shoving his hands into his pocket and smiling amicably at her. Kotomi always felt a little better when he smiled, like there was a ray of sunshine in the room. She could see why some girls wanted to date him.

"You know Tetsu, right?" Kotomi's brow furrows a bit, but she nods.

"I do. He's in Third String and he practices in the Third-String gym after afternoon practice. I'm afraid I don't know much else about him. But you two have been practicing together, haven't you?"

"Hah? Come on, what's the point in being shy? Don't you help him out?"

"Only a few times, it's hardly enough to call it helping him out…"

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to help us out now." Aomine scratches the back of his head, seeming a little hesitant to tell her exactly why. After searching her face and her silence for a moment, he sighs. "He's thinking about quitting the basketball team."

Somehow, that didn't surprise her at all. But she wasn't sure why he was telling her. "And…do you need my help to arrange the paperwork?" Aomine's eyes widen slightly as he seems even further confused towards her lackluster response.

"No! You've seen how hard he works; he can't drop out now!"

"Why not? If he's not making any progress, then why should he make himself suffer? Aomine-san, Kuroko-san is no basketball player." Aomine'e eyes had fallen to the ground, a shadow over his expression as Kotomi writes the last expense and shuts her book with a small _snap._

"How can you say something like that…?" Kotomi shrugs her shoulders, not noticing the way Aomine's fists clench and how he grits his teeth.

"I'm just being reasonable, and if it's what he wants, then I think we should still support his decision. It's just a shame that he's wasted all his time—"

 _ **"**_ _You're wrong!"_

Kotomi almost jumps out of her skin when Aomine's voice rises. He glares at her with a ferocity that made her take a step back. Hardly anything intimidated her these days, but this young man seemed to do it for her.

"Don't _ever_ say that in front of me again." Aomine grits out. "Hell, I thought you knew Tetsu, but you don't understand the first thing about him _or_ basketball, do you?" Kotomi blinks, not expecting to be spoken to in such a way.

"Kuroko-san is a kind young man. He tried and he failed, there's nothing else to do about it. If he says he wants to quit, then…"

"Forget I even asked." Aomine turns his back to her and heads back towards the gym, much to her bewilderment. He wouldn't even look back at her. Kotomi is even more curious and confused now. If not help him quit, then what?

"I'm sorry, you came here for my help, I just don't understand what you want me to do?" Aomine pauses.

"I thought you were supposed to be smart, but if being smart makes you heartless, then I'm glad I'm an idiot. What kind of person tells someone to just drop the things they care about? It's not like they're cleaning duties or anything."

"Just a moment; first of all, you're not supposed to be just dropping cleaning duties, Aomine-san." He turns around and gets in her face at this, frustration radiating from his posture, his expression, everything. Kotomi is feeling a little frustrated, too. They might as well be speaking two different languages at this rate. But she doesn't express her frustration, merely staring him down and waiting for his response.

"That's not what this is about."

"Then tell me please, because I'm lost."

"It's just—It's one thing if he gives up because he doesn't want to work, but Tetsu is one of the hardest working guys on this team and he's discouraged. He needs to understand that he can't give up on things just because someone else tells him to!"

"That's only if you see progress! Aren't you just lying to him, at this point? If even he sees it, just how proud can you be?"

"I'm not lying to him." Aomine insists. "I just told him that he can't give up now. I don't know if he'll ever get any better, or if he'll make First String, but he'll never know if he stops now. I wanted you to back me up, since he said you worked with him before. You know he works hard, don't you?"

"Of course I saw, but what I _didn't_ see was any sign of improving. Isn't it better to be left wondering in his case? If he loves basketball so much, then is it more painful to know with certainty you don't stand a chance?" Kotomi's voice remains even as tries to understand him despite her own confusion on the matter. This only seems to irk Aomine further, though.

"Haven't you ever cared about something so deeply you didn't want to let go of it?" At this, Kotomi stops. Swallowing hard, she lowers her gaze for just a moment before raising them again to meet him in the eyes directly. There's no frustration or confusion in Kotomi's visage or demeanor, just an emptiness that cools Aomine's anger into a confused shock above anything else.

"No. I can't say I have." To have no desires or ambitions? What the hell kind of life was that? She was just a middle schooler, so there was time to decide those things. But most kids Aomine knew had some kind of goal they were working for, even if it was just 'go to the same high school as my boyfriend' or 'don't fail my exams.' But Fujisaki Kotomi, as far as he knew, had nothing she really wanted? No, that made perfect sense, didn't it? Otherwise, they wouldn't even be able to have this conversation. Aomine scoffs a bit, turning away.

"I feel sorry for you." And with that, he breaks into a run. He wasn't going to give up on Tetsu. He had a feeling that there was more to him than just a guy who couldn't play basketball. If he had stayed a second longer, he would have been able to see Kotomi's face. She couldn't curb an emotion she didn't know she was feeling. Aomine would have been able to catch the downwards turn of her lips, and the longing in her eyes for something of a name she could not place.

* * *

"Aomine-kun…?" Kuroko is holding a basketball when Aomine returns to the gymnasium, uncertainty still in his eyes. "Did you find her?" Aomine sighs a little and rubs the back of his head.

"Yeah, but…" At his silence, Kuroko's face falls, and he smiles bitterly.

"She agrees that I should quit, doesn't she?" Aomine shakes his head frantically.

"Never mind that, I don't think you should! What does she know, anyway? Don't listen to what she has to say just because she's smart and rich!"

"Fujisaki-san has seen me train, and even given me pointers, though. And yet I still can't seem to improve. She knows my play, and if she still thinks I should quit…" Aomine frowns deeply, wishing he could say something more to convince the blue-haired boy.

"She's just doesn't get it, that's all. It's not like she's ever had to struggle to get something." Kuroko looks up at Aomine upon hearing this.

"Did she tell you that…?"

"Why does it matter? She told me that she's never cared about something like we care about basketball. It's all the more reason to ignore what she has to say. I bet she's never worked a day in her life." Kuroko frowns at this now.

"I don't think that's necessarily true, though."

"What? Don't tell me you're defending her." Kuroko shakes his head.

"I'm not. It's just…I get a strange feeling from Fujisaki-san at times." Aomine's face smooths over into inquisition when he hears this, lowering his crossed arms and raising a dark blue brow. "Why put so much effort into something she doesn't care about? She told me herself that she hates basketball. She does it for the challenge, but there are plenty of other things that might challenge her than just basketball."

"Who knows? It doesn't matter, either. She isn't a basketball player, so there's no way she couldn't understand how we feel." Kuroko looks up at Aomine with a small shrug.

"Well then, isn't it the same the other way around? We can't understand her because we don't know how she feels?"

"Hah? Tetsu, I don't think this is the time to be worrying about someone else's problems."

"Sorry. Sometimes I just feel like Fujisaki-san is…I'd like to get to know her better. She always seems ready to help me or anyone on the team, but does anyone know anything about her?" Aomine pauses for a long moment as he tries to think back on everything he knew about her. It's been more than half of the school year, but he didn't know anything else except for what he knew about her from other people. Fujisaki Kotomi was half-Japanese, the daughter of some bigshots he knew nothing about, and she was richer than half of the students combined at Teiko. And that was it. So he didn't know anything about her, but it didn't change that what she had to say on the matter of Kuroko was still unfounded and ignorant.

"I don't know, but we're talking about you right now. Don't quit, Tetsu." Kuroko looks down again, as if hoping they could have changed topics.

"I…I do love basketball…But it seems like I can't be of any use to the team at all."

"Nobody's completely useless to the team. Even if you couldn't play in games…Someone who stays later than everyone else to practice can't possibly be completely useless." Kuroko can't help lifting his gaze upon hearing this, eyes slightly widened. He had had no idea that Aomine felt this way, what with him being a genius.

"I won't say you'll definitely make it if you don't give up. But If you do give up, there's nothing left." There was no certainty in his words, it does resonate with Kuroko as he remembers his promise with Ogiwara. If he quit now, the future that he and his best friend promised to work toward would be gone forever. And he didn't want that.

"Aomine?" His head turns at the sound of the new voice and the approaching footsteps. To his surprise, it was the other first-string first years, including the towering Murasakibara. They appear to have not noticed him as Aomine greets him. But as his eyes drift towards the door they entered, he notices a familiar silhouette. He mostly recognized the cornflower blue of her eyes, which widen when she realizes she's been noticed. Just as quickly she slips away.

"Fuji-"

"Oh."

"Huh, was there a guy like this on our team?" The rest of the others finally notice him. Even the vice-captain seemed quite shocked, also having failed to notice Kuroko. And then, the way the Akashi was looking at Kuroko made him slightly uncomfortable, even if it doesn't show on his features. It seemed like he was almost being assessed for something. But for what, he had no clue, at least until Akashi's lips turn up into a smile.

"I'm slightly interested in him. I'm sorry, but can you come with me for a minute?" As Kuroko reluctantly begins to follow Akashi's instructions, still no one has noticed that the silhouette of a young girl has returned, hiding her face behind the open door as she starts to watch, notebook in hand. Cornflower blue begins to follow the powder-blue haired boy's movements to the letter, her pen moving quickly across the paper.

* * *

 _Capitalize on my lack of presence…_ Kuroko couldn't stop thinking about what Akashi had said to him, even as the rest of them had parted ways. He still stood in the gym, staring out the window as he processed everything.

"If I can find something only I can do…"

"You can make your way up the ranks, right…?" Kuroko jumps and whirls around to face the young girl standing in front of the doorway. Unlike her usual posture, Kotomi's shoulders are slightly hunched over, and her eyes were downcast. Her lips are pursed, and her head is lowered.

"Fujisaki-san…? You startled me."

"Now you know how it feels." She offers a smile, but it lacks the usual calm and serene energy she always seemed to carry with her. "Where is everyone else?"

"Aomine-kun went to change, and the others left already."

"Ah, I see…" After a moment of silence, Kuroko decides to speak up, curious.

"I saw you earlier…why did you come back?"

"I never left." Kotomi walks into the dark gym to stand closer to him. "Aomine scolded me, so I followed him back here to scold him right back but you were all in a conversation, so I didn't want to bother you."

"Yes, he said he spoke to you."

"It was mostly him lecturing me for not having any faith in you as a basketball player. It was endlessly rude, pulling me out of my work and then demeaning me like that in public." Kotomi puffs her cheeks out slightly, and Kuroko can't help feeling a little responsible. If he hadn't told Aomine that she was around to help him too, perhaps he wouldn't have gone searching for her.

"I'm sorr—"

"He was rude and crass…but he was right." This catches Kuroko off guard, and his confusion only grows as Kotomi bows her head slightly to him. For as someone as unnoticeable as he to be bowed to by a classmate who was practically an heiress, it was a little bewildering.

"Fujisaki-san…"

"I was being small-minded and insensitive. I apologize for looking down on you. I heard everything Akashi said to you, and I agree. Perhaps there is something that only you can do, by capitalizing on the things that only you have. I don't know what that is, yet, but maybe you can find it." Kotomi raises her head to look at him, her eyes seeming to glow with the reflection of the moon. Kuroko's heart skips a beat again when he realizes that the look she was giving him was unlike any expression she's made in his presence, even when she was with Fujita. "And I want to help you." stares at her for a long time, before he says the first thing that comes to mind.

"You…you're actually kind of strange, aren't you, Fujisaki-san?" Kotomi straightens up at this, cheeks turning pink as she clenches her hands into fists and shakes them a little, pouting.

"W-What do you mean!? Is it the way I speak? Is it still too formal?" He looks away, hiding the laugh that bubbles up in his chest.

"No, never mind…" Kotomi raises a brow, unconvinced, but she pulls out her notebook from before and hands it to him with both hands to change the subject, which he receives similarly.

"I took notes on everything I saw earlier. I think you should read them and see if it helps you think of what to do next. From now on, I'll come by more often to help you out, but this is something only you can accomplish, in the end. I'll see you tomorrow, after afternoon practice. I'll go on ahead. I don't think I would like another lecture from Aomine-san."

"Fujisaki-san." Kotomi turns around again to look over her shoulder at Kuroko, who looks down at the basketball in his hands. His smile has grown now, and Kotomi thinks he would be more noticeable if he smiled more often, the way he was now. It was a hopeful smile, nostalgic in her eyes. "Thank you, but...why are you helping me again?"

Kotomi blinks a few times at first, seeming to search for the words inside her head before she finds herself returning his smile with one of her own. Her eyes fall half-closed as she brings her finger to her lips to make a soft 'sshh' sound and a quiet giggle.

"It's my little secret. Maybe if you manage to make First String, I'll tell you." Kuroko feels his cheeks heat up at the look of her, his grip on the ball tightening slightly while his heart skips a beat. In that moment, as she stood in the rays of the moonlight, and he in the shadows, Kuroko realized that there was much that he had never seen this expression on her face, either. He didn't know the first thing about the _real_ Fujisaki Kotomi. But he thinks he's starting to figure it out.

"Would you like to bet on it?" Kotomi's smile only grows, and she hides her laugh behind her hand like the lady she is.

"My, you really are a sort of gambler, aren't you? I'll take that bet." As Kuroko starts to gather his things, Kotomi seems to realize something, her brow furrowing as she glances around at every dark corner of the gymnasium, brow furrowing as a question pops into her mind.

"By the way, Kuroko-san, why were you just standing here in the dark?" Kuroko straightens up with a basketball tucked under one arm and the practice cones under the other.

"A janitor came by and shut off the lights because he didn't think anyone was in here, probably."

"…I'm so sorry."

"Huh?"

* * *

"What you can do for the team? That's what you talked to Akashi about?"

"Yes. I'm not a good shooter, so I thought that it would either be passing or assisting."

"Huh, well, Akashi isn't almighty either, so maybe it's something only you can do?" Kuroko looks up from his pensive positioning to nod in agreement.

"Fujisaki-san said the same thing." This seems to sour Aomine's mood, and he scoffs a little, shoving his hands deeper into his pocket.

"You're still talking to her? What, did she come by to tell you to give it up if you didn't make it again?"

"Actually, she came by to scold you for being so rude to her."

"Hah!?"

"And I agree. You shouldn't be so rude to girls, Aomine-kun."

"That's bullshit, don't side with her!" Kuroko's expression seems to soften up a bit from its usual stoicism.

"I think you should sit down and talk with her sometime, Aomine-kun. I think she's a good person, deep down..." Aomine seems a bit skeptical, but he doesn't press on it anymore. All he knew was that he didn't like that girl, not one bit, and nothing could change that for him.

"Whatever! Anyway, if it's passing you're looking to try, maybe you should to a pass that totally bends and stuff! Like _whoosh!_ " When Kuroko only offers him a deadpan expression that's somehow riddled with incredulity, Aomine carries on until the end.

"Like _**whoosh—"**_

 _ **"**_ Enough."

After dropping Kuroko off at the bookstore, Aomine makes his way home, when his phone suddenly buzzes. He pulls it out and flips it open as he sees that the sender was Momoi:

 **From: Satsuki**

 **To: Aomine Daiki**

 **Watch this, Dai-chan! You won't believe who's in it! watch?v=Zf8a_o7kamU3**

Aomine rolls his eyes a little, but he clicks on it anyway, since he didn't have any one to talk to. It led him to a video taken by a classmate of Momoi's, which she uploaded to her account. It was at a dance studio he heard Momoi talk about with her friends once. Apparently one of them went to classes here and recorded a dance routine one day. He smirks a little as he watches a group of young women of varying ages start up their dance, which isn't as provocative as he would like, but he's impressed by the way they moved. He's pretty sure his back would break if she tried any of their movements, but they seemed to do it as if it was like breathing to them. There was one dancer that his eyes kept gravitating to, though. The video was being recorded from behind, so he couldn't quite see her face, but the way she moved was different from all the rest, even if they were all doing the same moves. It was almost like she was the song playing had taken human form.

And when a turn finally reveals her face, to the camera, Aomine stops walking and shouts in surprise as he grabs his phone with both hands and holds it closer to his face to make sure he wasn't just imagining what, or _who_ he was seeing. But the cornflower blue of her eyes was telltale, even if the way she dressed was not.

"No way…that can't be Fujisaki! That robot!?" And yet, there she was, leading her entourage, and Aomine feels his expression melt away from shock, confusion, to awe, as her movements completely enraptures him. Her expression was so intense, so focused, he had also felt the way she looked, even if they were doing entirely different things. There was no way for him to describe what was so mesmerizing about her, but…

 _"Haven't you ever cared about something so deeply you didn't want to let go of it?"_

 _"No, I can't say I have."_

Aomine purses his lips as he recalls their conversation early, the emptiness in her eyes, the confusion in her voice, as if she had no idea what it meant to care about something. But this was proof within itself, wasn't it? That she loved something just as much as he and Kuroko loved basketball? Why would she lie about such a thing?

 _"I think you should sit down and talk with her sometime, Aomine-kun. I think she's a good person, deep down..."_ He shakes his head, realizing that maybe Kuroko might have had a point. In the same way he felt something was different about Kuroko, Kuroko felt the same way about this girl. And he trusted his friends' instincts. As Aomine hits the 'Forward' button on his phone, looking for the blue-haired boy's number, he decides that maybe Kuroko should see that he was right.

There was a lot they didn't know about their mysterious manager, and if she wasn't willing to share, then maybe they had to be the ones to reach out first.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Whoa, okay! A lot happened in this chapter lol. So, slowly but surely, everyone's learning a little more about each other. I think I'm gonna start speeding things along here, but no worries! I had a hard time writing this chapter, because at first I thought Kotomi was a little bland and that I wasn't portraying her in the way I wanted, but while writing this chapter, I'm realizing that this is actually the way she should be written. She's not supposed to have a likable personality right off the bat, because that's just not the way I designed her when I first came up with Kotomi. So I hope you guys will stick by her, and if you still think Kotomi is likable, then I'm glad! Hopefully the next chapter won't take too long, since I'm out of school now! Thank you all again for your time and understanding, until next time!**

 **Love,**

 **Silky**

* * *

1 Hehe, a reference to Beard Papa's, a popular cream puff place in Japan

2 In Japan, cream puffs are called "choux crème" or シュークリーム

3 If you replace "OurTube" with "Youtube" you'll get an actual choreography video! I'm obsessed with LA dancers, so there's a little something about me I put in the story hehe.


	8. Mysteries and Discoveries

**Author's Note:** **So I'm in writing mode for this one right now. I'd really like to get past the Teiko arc already, but I am tempering myself so that I can fully develop the relationships with GOM and Kuroko sufficiently. Of course, I'm not going to spend forever on Teiko days, so I'm considering a side story that focuses more deeply on the happenings of Kotomi and her friends at Teiko. What do you think? Let me know by leaving a review! I had a lot of fun writing this one, so I hope you enjoy!**

 **Thanks to** **JayMyBoy** **for the favorite and follow, and** **nugie** **for the follow!**

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or its characters, all the content belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki, and published by Shueisha. I do not make any profit on this, and I only own my characters. Please support the official release.

* * *

 **From: Kuroko Tetsuya 11:47 PM**

 **To: Fujisaki Kotomi**

I think I found my answer. I'd like to tell you more about it after practice.

* * *

 **Mysteries and Discoveries**

Fujita walks with his fellow club members to their shared classroom when he spots a familiar, unfamiliar face. Her hair was growing longer, her shoulders were a little more relaxed, but her eyes were still the same as always. As she walked alone, Fujisaki Kotomi's eyes were trained straight ahead, focused on something that was not in front of her, but rather far, far, far, in the distance.

And as always, people stared as she walked by. It was the same for him, too. Whether she liked it or not, the girl always seemed to catch the attention of the people around her. Fujita stops walking to call out to her with a smile on his face, but then familiar green head of Teiko's basketball prodigy Midorima Shintaro steps out from seemingly nowhere, blocking her from his view.

"Oh, Akkun, you coming or not?" His friends, who had walked a good few feet ahead before realizing their third friend wasn't with them, calls out. Fujita looks to her and then his friends for a minute before he frowns, lowering his raised hand and shaking his head.

"Yeah, sorry, I'm coming!" He runs after his friends, with the dark-haired girl none the wiser to his presence.

* * *

"So, you did hear Akashi's assessment of Kuroko, then. And you plan on helping him discover this supposed potential?" The green-haired boy catches his own amount of attention, but this mostly because of the large red hand mirror that he was carrying around.

"Yes, and he says he have an idea on how to establish himself as a unique member of the team. I'm interested in learning more about what it is he has planned." Kotomi is quite used to Midorima and the stares that being around him yielded by now, nodding without so much as even glancing down at what he was carrying. She had her own Lucky Item, after all. She didn't carry one around every day; but on days she felt extra superstitious, it was a comfort, if anything. As long as it wasn't ridiculous or inconvenient. This time, it was a light blue pamphlet she took from Madoka's studio about how yoga helps a dancer's flexibility.

"I think it's wishful thinking on both their parts." Midorima sniffs a bit, but Kotomi smiles to herself, pressing a finger to her lips in thoughtful intrigue.

"For someone with such little presence, that kind of resolve is striking, isn't it?" Midorima glances at her, pursing his lips with displeasure at something in her question.

"You said you're helping Kuroko after practices…it will be just you two?"

"Hm, maybe Aomine-san will join us on some days?"

"Why are you even dedicating yourself to the affairs of others? Aren't you endlessly busy with everything else, not just club duties?" Kotomi smirks a little turning her nose up to the air.

"I made a bet that I would tell Kuroko-san if he manages to make First String, so I can't be telling anyone else now, can I?"

"A bet you are sure to win is hardly a bet at all." Kotomi laughs, the sound clear and resonating with something in Midorima's chest. It pleased him and irked him at the same time.

"Well now, you never know. I hope I'm wrong. What is life without a surprise every now and then?"

"…" Kotomi glances over to him with a slightly raised brow, wondering what about what she said has garnered such silence from the shooting guard. He's looking down at his Lucky Item. When he finally decides to spare her from her curiosity, its suffice to say that his following question isn't quite what she expects from him.

"Are you sure you're alright dedicating so much time to a silly bet? You don't know them very well, and aren't you already quite busy with everything else?" Kotomi blinks a few times, failing to mention how Midorima's face slowly darkens in color the longer he stares.

"Midorima-san…you're really worried about me, aren't you?" The green-haired boy stutters and practically malfunctions in front of her, steam practically rising from his head in billows.

"Y-You're the daughter of an esteemed family, you should take better care of yourself, and you should know better than to dedicate so much time to two strangers you barely know! There is a difference between doing all you can and giving too much of yourself!" Kotomi covers her mouth to hide the smile threatening to spread across her lips.

 _So cute!_

"Do _not_ look at me like that, Fujisaki!" Kotomi turns her face away to hide another snicker.

"Sorry, sorry! I just like this side of you! It's alright to be a little more honest like this, you know." This isn't helping. His face was the color of a tomato, now, but Kotomi wasn't all too sure how to stop it. It was endlessly amusing.

"I am always honest."

"But of course." He averts his gaze from her, refusing to look her in the eye now. Slowly, but surely, the color recedes to be more like a flamingo in shade. For a moment, she worried he was going to pass out.

"I still think you should not concern yourself with the fate of Kuroko Tetsuya."

"Thank you for worrying about me," Kotomi sighs, completely ignoring the way he chokes up at the accusation again. "but I'm truly alright. I'm not exactly doing this out of the goodness of my heart, I just think it could benefit the team. I like to succeed in everything I do. And as you said, it's important to do all that one can do, isn't it?" Midorima is still looking away, so she doesn't see the softening of his features. She was one of the few who ever really took anything from what he said, rather than dismissing it as the ramblings of an eccentric fanatic.

"Priorities are also important. Even if you're the youngest child of your family, it doesn't mean you won't have any responsibility to upholding the family name." When he finally looks back at Kotomi, he catches the vestiges of some strange expression on her face, but it's gone too quickly for him to truly register which of his words evoked such a response. "But…I suppose I am being nosy."

"No, it's alright." Kotomi's smile is a little more reserved now, but not any less affectionate than what Midorima was used to. "Thank you, Midorima-san. Your concerns make me happy, but I promise. I'm fine."

"…If you say so." It isn't his place to question what she was thinking about, Midorima assures himself as Kotomi walks ahead of him into their classroom. The curiosity in his gut was burning brighter than ever. The Fujisaki and Reinwalt families…they were a secretive family with many accolades and achievement. It seems even their youngest adopted the promise to secrecy on their inner machinations. It's been months since they've met and he still barely even knew where she lived, or if her family was here with her. It should not be any of his business, but Midorima found that the more he watched her and interacted with her, the more he realized he was drawn to the air of mystery surrounding her.

* * *

 **From: Maman 2:12 PM**

 **To: Fujisaki Kotomi**

 **Hello, my love. I hope things are going well. I'm sorry I haven't come into contact with you lately. I didn't want to interfere with your studies and the only times I can call you are while you're at school. But I need you to call me. Any time is alright, but it's important.**

Kotomi reads the message over and over, feeling quite conflicted as she sits by herself outside the First-String gym. It's been more than half of the school year already, but this was the first time anyone from England had even texted her. Not even her beloved grandfather, which hurt her.

"Fujisaki-san…" She understood that Madoka was probably giving progress reports, as her grandmother wouldn't ever allow Kotomi to do as she pleased without knowing her every move. She sometimes wonders what kind of lies Madoka was telling to keep her from figuring out what it was that Kotomi was up to in her free time, but she had decided again and again not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Fujisaki-san?"

But that didn't change the fact that no one really bothered to check in on her, which leaves a bitter taste in her mouth, despite her muted pleasure at finally being contacted. What on earth could her mother want to talk about? Could it be…

"Fujisaki-san!"

"Yes!?" Kotomi almost jumps out of her seat, her bag flying out of her lap and would have landed on the ground, if it weren't for the hand that flies out to catch it. When she looks up, her eyes meet none other than Captain Nijimura. Kotomi stands cheeks pink with embarrassment.

"Whoa! You almost dropped this." He hands Kotomi her bag, which she takes back while averting her gaze. "Are you okay? You were spacing out a minute there."

"Yes, sorry! It was…I was catching up on messages." He smiles at this, an expression she rarely saw of him in during the times she was at his practices.

"Ah, don't worry about it. Sorry for interrupting you. Akashi tells me you're busy, so this must be the only time during the day, huh?"

"Oh, not really…" Nijimura starts to walk into the gym, and Kotomi follows suit. "It's just that I didn't really have much else to do, so…"

"That's right, you'll be with us more often now, yeah?"

"Yes." Kotomi bows politely, smiling gently. "I look forward to working with you and the team." Nijimura stares for a moment, and then looks away, seeming slightly uncomfortable.

"Well, do you want to help me set up the gymnasium, then?"

"Of course." Nijimura smiles a little more, but then he rubs the back of his head, seeming a little uncomfortable as he chuckles.

"You still speak so formally…"

"This is just how I talk; I don't understand why people keep saying that."

"It's better than speaking rudely out of habit, I guess." Kotomi blinks a few times an lets a soft chuckle escape her.

"I think you're a rare opinion, Captain." Nijimura raises a brow at this, smirking just a bit.

"Really? How so?"

"Well, I think people would rather I speak a little more casually. Perhaps I would be more approachable in that regard. But when I use Japanese, it's often in a formal setting, so I..." Nijimura scoffs at this, disappearing into the supply closet for a minute before reappearing with the cart full of basketballs.

"I didn't take you for someone who worried about what people thought of them."

"Really? What makes you think that?" Kotomi glances behind her at him, blinking curiously. Nijimura looks up at the ceiling, seeming to look for his words before he answers her. "It's good to worry a little bit…"

"I guess…you just seem like you know always have your head somewhere else. Far away from here. But not like you're empty headed or something, but because you're already three steps ahead of the rest of us, so I thought you didn't care if everyone thought you were an airhead."

"How rude!" Kotomi pouts a little at the airhead comment, but her eyes shine at such an observation, and Kotomi can't help the smile that replaces her attempted pout which only makes Nijimura smile a little more.

"Don't be mad. I'm a little envious, you know. I tend to deal with the problems right in front of me. That's not always good, either."

"But that makes me envy you a little, captain."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"You're in the present, single-mindedly focused on what is before you in the moment. Sometimes I think about so many things, I lose sight of what I wanted in the first place. So I think I envy that straightforward way of thinking." Nijimura pouts a little at this.

"Are you trying to say I'm simpleminded?" Kotomi only smiles mischievously, closing her eyes and innocently humming a song before she answers in a teasing tone.

"In a positive way." From behind, Kotomi feels an iron grip fall on her head, squeezing tight enough to both hurt and also keep her head in one spot. She whines in pain and grabs at the hand on top of her head, trying to pry his hand off.

"Captain!"

"Oho, I think that I should punish my mouthy kouhai…!" His voice is teasingly menacing, which makes her laugh and cry out in pain at the same time.

"Captain." Both of Kotomi and Nijimura stop to turn their heads toward the door, crimson and emerald, and amethyst gazes falling upon the two of them. Nijimura promptly removes his hand from Kotomi's head, sensing discomfort while Kotomi smiles politely, waving.

"Midorima-san, Akashi-san! Murasakibara-san!"

"Hi, Koto-chin~"

"Good afternoon, Fujisaki, captain."

"Fujisaki-san, thanks again for coming."

"Of course! Akashi-san asked me, after all." Akashi's polite smile grows more genuine at this, though it falters when Kotomi bows to excuse herself, going to fill the water bottles. The three newcomers greet their captain, but Nijimura's eyes seem to follow the retreating manager.

"So Fujisaki will be coming more often, is that right? That's great. Her observations really helped us out in nationals. Next year, we're sure to dominate the court."

"Yes, I agree." Akashi and Midorima are quick to change out of their outdoor shoes, the latter heading for the locker room already. Murasakibara lingers in the doorway, taking his time while yawning. Midorima passes Kotomi while she's at the water fountain, filling on of the many bottles while humming a quiet song. She is still fixing the loose strands of hair that had fallen out of place of her half up-do from Nijimura's hand. There was no physical proof, but she seems as though she's in a better mood. Regrettably, this puts Midorima in a sour one, as he purses his lips and heads inside to change. He couldn't quite place why that interaction upset him.

* * *

She was definitely being stared at. Kotomi tries not to look in the direction of the pair of eyes that were fixated on her. Her focus is supposed to be on the players, and what she can glean from their playing styles. But the stare coming was traveling all over her skin, and it was making her uncomfortable and fidgety. She almost sighs in relief when the game whistle blows, and the feeling disappears.

"Koto-chan?" Kotomi looks up at Momoi, who has joined her at the bench. She wasn't sure where the pink haired girl had been, but she still offers a smile, moving to make room on the bench.

"Yes?"

"Akashi-kun would like you to look at the data for the players of the next practice game, and the data of our starters to find out the best match ups." Kotomi takes the typical stack of papers and the CD, nodding thoughtfully as she's already archiving the formations they used today.

"Okay, I can have a report to you by Friday." Momoi smiles knowingly, leaning into Kotomi, who leans away out of instinct, blinking in confusion at Momoi as she other girl giggles playfully.

"Oh, are you sure? You don't have anything planned at all this week?" Kotomi gets a strange feeling in her stomach as she raises a brow at her fellow manager who smiles just a _tad_ too sweetly. "Like…a dance practice…?" Kotomi feels like a deer caught in headlights when something clicks in her. She knew better than to lie to Momoi. A pretty face didn't mean an empty head, and no truer phrase applied to someone like Momoi Satsuki.

"How….how did you find out about it?" At her vague confirmation, Momoi beams and takes one of Kotomi's hands in hers, almost knocking the stack of documents from Kotomi's free hand.

"Micchan told showed me a video she took of you doing a demonstration!"

"Micchan…?" Wasn't one of Madoka's dance students always talking about a friend named "Sacchan?" Kotomi swallows hard.

"So you're the 'Sacchan' that Arai-san talks about…" Momoi nods enthusiastically, which only makes Kotomi more nervous. She foolishly let her guard down, thinking that she was safe from Grandma Cordelia finding out, and she's completely forgotten to account for other aspects which could facilitate her undoing. In this case, she remained out of sight for Madoka's OurTube channel, but they never banned recording in the dance studio on regular days.

"Koto-chan, you dance? That's amazing! You were so cool in your video; I had no idea people in real life could even move like that!" Kotomi doesn't hear much of Momoi's praise, trying to anticipate how much damage control she could do. It wasn't as if anyone at home watched OurTube, not to mention the channel of some middle school dance student from Tokyo, right? Unless…is that what her mother wanted her to call her about? Did someone see it, and Grandmother Cordelia is furious? Momoi seems to notice her silence, tilting her head to the side, trying to see past Kotomi's side fringe. "Koto-chan…?"

"I…thank you, Satsuki-chan…has anyone else seen that video?" Kotomi was so nervous she could barely smile, and Momoi notices this right away.

"Well, I sent it to Aomine-kun…" Her peach pink brow furrows and she reaches out and to touch Kotomi's shoulder. "I'm sorry, is it not something you really wanted people to know about?"

"Yes, actually, I…could you please ask your friend to delete the video? And ask Aomine not to tell anyone about it?" Momoi looks more concerned by how hard she was taking the news.

"Of course I could, but why? Is this about your family?" Kotomi's eyes suddenly shoot up to meet Momoi's cornflower blue suddenly a shade darker than normal, her lips pressed tightly into a firm line before she plasters on a polite smile.

 _Don't scare her. She didn't need to be intimidating here. This isn't a party of competitors, it's just a classmate asking about your family._ "What makes you think that?"

"Well, it's no secret that you're from a traditional family. I thought it was a little strange that you did something like dancing." Kotomi relaxes a little, relieved to learn that Momoi hadn't been snooping around in her family affairs. In a normal circumstance, she was supposed to be able to brush it off; but if there was one thing she feared, it would be the Reinwalt family matriarch.

"I…the truth is," Kotomi swallows hard, wondering if it was a good idea to share something so personal. "I'm…not really supposed to be dancing. My grandmother forbade it, for…reputation reasons." Kotomi could hear Grandmother Cordelia hissing her favorite quote from Shakespeare while Kotomi explains to a waiting Momoi.

" _Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. Words to live by, Kotomi. A Reinwalt Lady is a master of this. Be demure, but unyielding. Don't lie, but don't speak the truth in its entirety. An English Rose must smile and be beautiful to be loved by all but must also keep her thorns sharp enough to tear through flesh, for those who are incapable of such faculties."_

Surely, Momoi had nothing to gain from learning about something so trivial. Anything less than the truth might make the pink haired girl curious. Kotomi knew she was clearly overthinking things, as she tends to do. Kotomi maintains her smile, slipping into herself more comfortably now that she's made her decision.

"I'm not supposed to be dancing, but my grandfather says it's a good way to relieve stress. He helped me arrange it so that I could dance every other weekend with my godmother. But if she finds out, I could get into a lot of trouble. So I'm sorry to trouble you Satsuki-chan, but…I want to keep dancing. So could you please convince Arai-san to delete the video without telling her the reason?" Kotomi braces herself for more questions, but Momoi simply smiles in understanding.

"Of course! I'm sure she won't mind. I'll just tell her that you're uncomfortable with being recorded!" Kotomi smiles at this, taking Momoi's hands and squeezing them affectionately. "And I'll talk to Aomine-kun too. Ah, but don't worry! I'll be sure to tell him not to share anything!" Kotomi's smile is genuinely relieved.

"Satsuki-chan, you're wonderful, thank you!"

"Of course, what are friends for? So tell me! How did you start dancing?" Kotomi smiles a little, deciding to ignore the teachings of her grandmother just this once. As they laugh and gush over Kotomi's origins, Kotomi feels both the sweet burning of warmth and guilt once more in her heart, unaware of the royal blue gaze on both girls.

* * *

Third-String Gym; Evening

Kotomi catches the ball when it rolls toward her feet, picking it up and holding it out for Kuroko as he retrieves it. The gym is very quiet, as Kotomi watches him like a hawk and Kuroko works diligently. Unfortunately, Kotomi could barely register anything the boy is doing. She was endlessly worried about the video. Momoi had already texted her not long after the practice that Miki had already deleted the video, but there was still the matter of Aomine, and anyone he might have sent the video to.

 _If grandmother Cordelia finds out…she might even make me transfer out of Teiko and attend a school in Kyoto._ Her hands tighten in her lap at this. She didn't want to transfer, but when was the last time her grandmother ever listened to anything she had to say? She even texted Fujita to ask about what he was thinking, but she never got a response. Lately, he hardly answered any of her texts or calls, anymore. Yet another worry.

"Fujisaki-san." Kotomi perks up when her name is called, smiling as she tilts her head. Kuroko is already picking up the cones he was using to practice his dribbling, and Kotomi is quick to stand up and help him. "I think we should end here today."

"You're improving your fundamentals, at least. But how will this help your 'misdirection?' Kotomi asks, scooping up one of the spare basketballs they brought from the supply closet.

"The real test will have to be in a game, probably. I can't do it without other people lending me their strength. The best is this until the right time arrives." Kuroko explains, and he glances at Kotomi, who is only half listening, with a deadpan expression. He could tell because she was playing with a strand of her hair, twirling the dark licks around her hand over and over again, letting slip form her fingers when it was wound so tight that it looked like it was hurting her. "Fujisaki-san, is there something on your mind?"

Kotomi jolts at this, smiling unassumingly and shaking her head. "Not really." Kuroko raises a brow at this, turning away. It couldn't be helped if she didn't want to share what was distracting her so much. He's about to change the subject, when Kotomi speaks up again. "Kuroko-san, would you consider us friends?" Kuroko pauses, slowly turning around to face her, his expression unreasonable.

"What makes you ask that?" Kotomi looks away, wringing at her fingers and biting her lip before she answers, as if she's second guessing going down that route. Her hesitance makes Kuroko answer first. "I thought we were becoming friends, but if that makes you uncomfortable—"

"It's not that I don't want to be," Kotomi interjects immediately, even raising a hand on habit to silence him, which she quickly lowers. "It's just that…I…I-!"

"Do you like milkshakes, Fujisaki-san?" Kotomi needs to stop and register if she truly heard Kuroko right. When he doesn't repeat his question, Kotomi glances around in confusion before slowly nodding her head. Kuroko nods in return and continues cleaning up, only confusing Kotomi further. "Perhaps it's best that we clean up here and go somewhere where we can talk."

* * *

"Maji…Burger…" She stares up and squints at the blinding fluorescence light brightening the dark skies, tilting her head to better see the M formation it made. Kuroko slings his bag over his shoulder more securely before walking ahead of her inside.

"This place has excellent vanilla milkshakes, I like them." Kotomi raises a brow, walking in with him, and seeming to inch closer to him. This place seemed…quaint. Kuroko glances back at her, confusion ghosting in across his visage for just a moment, but he says nothing. They enter, and the smell of something frying makes Kotomi's nose twitch. It was quite intense. She observes the people lining up in front of a counter with a cash register, and she could see the workers in the back rushing about to hand people paper bags filled with something.

Kuroko wordlessly gets in line, with Kotomi following right behind him, staring at the menu that hung in the ceiling. Burgers for 200 Yen, French fries for 250 Yen…milkshakes for 225!? Everything was so cheap! Her eyes wander over to the displaying showing the drinking ups…a large was only 250! What kind of place has she just walked into?

"Welcome to Maji Burger, how may I help you?" Kotomi suddenly realizes that she's standing at the front of the line, staring down the teen behind the counter. Kotomi swallows hard, realizing she didn't even know what she wanted. Looking for Kuroko, he was nowhere in sight.

"I'll…have a small vanilla milkshake, please."

"That'll be 200 Yen, please." Kotomi reaches for her wallet, looking inside and realizing she only had 5000 Yen bills, handing one to the cashier. They glance at her once, and Kotomi could see the incredulity masked somewhere behind a smile as they complete her transaction and hand her the change. Kotomi struggles to put the coins away right there, taking quite a bit of time. It's been a while since she's had to concern herself with putting coins away. The cashier's smile falters a moment.

"Miss, may I ask you to please move—"

"Fujisaki-san." Kotomi, the cashier, and the other people in line almost jump out of their skin when Kuroko suddenly appears beside her, gently taking her by her wrist to pull her to the side. "You can fix your belongings here." He explains this while sipping on his large vanilla milkshake. Kotomi turns pink and quickly puts the rest of her money away, murmuring a quiet apology before running to sit at a table in the far corner so that she can hide her in her arms. Kuroko's eyes follower her as her order is placed on the counter, before he picks up the smaller cup and approaches their table. Kotomi perks up, realizing she forgot her drink when Kuroko hands it to her.

"Th-thank you…" She slowly settles down into her seat, sipping with her shoulders slightly hunched and her head lowered. Kuroko moves to sit across from her, staring at her with such an intensity that the blush Kotomi had been fighting to suppress finally finds its way through her cheeks all the way to her ears.

"Fujisaki-san…could it be that you…" Kotomi only darkens in color with every syllable that passes through Kuroko's lips, until he finally says it, leaving Kotomi caught red-handed in her attempted illusion. "You've never been to a fast food chain restaurant before?"

"O-Of course I have!" Kotomi announces proudly, straightening her shoulders a bit and placing a hand on her chest as if she's been accused of some kind of crime. "I go to Goatee Grandpa's quite often!" Kuroko's mouth twitches.

"That's more like a café, though it is a chain." Kotomi turns even redder and she shakes her head frantically, covering her face and whining in frustration.

"It's just never come up for me, before!" A cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh doesn't help her humiliation. "Don't laugh at me, Kuroko-san!"

"I'm sorry."

"You're not even going to deny it!?" Kuroko seems at a loss in hiding his amusement, though he does seem slightly apologetic if only as a consolation to Kotomi.

"It's just…I keep discovering new things about you, Fujisaki-san." Kotomi composes herself as she looks up at Kuroko again. "You're surprisingly expressive…and earnest." This catches Kotomi by surprise. It's a word she's never heard used to describe her before.

"What do you mean by that…?"

"You try to help everyone and make it seem like it's of no consequence to you, but you really are putting everything you have into everything you do. Even if it's something you don't like, like basketball." Kotomi's heart warms again.

"That's…too kind of you. I just like succeeding. I'm not doing it for any selfless reason…"

"Even so, something like helping me after practice while working with the First String, thank you." Kuroko bows his head to her slightly, hands placed politely in his lap. Kotomi shakes her head, trying to wave away his thanks.

"Please, you don't have to…"

"But I want to. Not everything needs a good intention, if it has a result that benefits everyone." Kotomi stares at him for a long moment, before she turns her head, hiding her mouth behind a hand as she laughs, a clear, genuine laugh. Kuroko tilts his head in question and in awe of what brought on such a…pleasant sound.

"You…you're really one of a kind as well, Kuroko-san. I don't think I've ever met someone who can catch me off guard like the people at Teiko can."

"That seems like an exceedingly difficult thing to do." Kotomi smiles again, playing with the straw of her cup and biting her lip. The lull in the conversation meant that it was probably time for her to elaborate on the confusing question she asked earlier. And yet she finds herself pausing yet again. This would make two people who knew of her predicament. Kuroko observes her in the silence, waiting patiently and sipping at his milkshake. Finally, Kotomi takes a deep inhale, before exhaling to calm herself.

"I…I've never had too many opportunities to make friends before. And I'm not sure how to tell if someone is truly my friend or not."

"Isn't Fujita-kun your friend?"

"Yes, but…I think I'm drawn to straightforward people like him because it's easy to discern his intentions. But when it comes to people who may not be so easy to read, I feel a deep anxiety about sharing personal stories about myself. Because I don't know what they could do with that information."

"You're talking to me about something personal right now." Kotomi offers a rueful smile.

"I know. Part of me wants to just run away, now, but…I want to get an opinion from someone my age." Kuroko nods in agreement. "A friend of mine, Satsuki-chan discovered something personal about me, and I confided in her. She said she would assist me because we're friends, but the truth is…I find it hard to believe her."

"What could she possibly stand to gain from telling a secret of yours?" Kotomi shakes her head and shrugs lightly, biting the tip of her straw.

"I don't know. It's not that she's ever given me reason to distrust her, and I suspect her, anyway. We spend so much time together because we meet to discuss data and game strategy, but…I am still unerringly anxious. And I feel guilty for feeling such a way." Kuroko seems to think for a moment on this before he speaks again.

"If you don't mind me asking, what was it that she discovered?" Kotomi grips the end of her skirt tightly, debating.

"A video of me that has been deleted." Kuroko's eyes widen slightly.

"You mean the dance video that Aomine-kun sent me?" Kotomi chokes on her milkshake mid-sip as she covers her mouth, grabbing the tissue quickly offered by Kuroko as she tries to cough out the inhaled vanilla ice cream.

"Y-You saw it!?"

"I did. Aomine-kun sent it to me." Kotomi moans in mortification as she covers her face.

"The internet is truly a cruel mistress…"

"I'm sorry, if I had known, then I wouldn't have watched it. I haven't sent it to anyone else, though." _Good, at least I don't have to worry about it much, anymore…_ "But is it bad for your hobby to be discovered?"

"My Grandmother forbade me from dancing. She says it's a distraction from my studies and bad for our family's reputation to be doing something so uncouth." Kotomi sighs softly, wiping away excess milkshake from her lips. Kuroko watches her, his expression softening with sympathy.

"That's terrible."

"It's not the end of the world, it's just dancing, after all. I can give it up if I want to, but if I don't have to, then all the better?" Kotomi smiles a little, though it's with a note of the emptiness that Kuroko was more familiar with.

"But Fujisaki-san…it seems like you really love dancing." Kotomi's expression saddens, and she shakes her head.

"I can't love anything…" Saying it out loud sounded pathetic to her ears, and with the way Kuroko's expression drops, she can tell he agrees. "It's fine to be good at everything, in my family, but to love things is to be distracted by them."

"But why do things have to be that way for you?" Kotomi laughs, but there's no humor or joy in the sound anymore.

"That's a story for another day…but right now I want to trust in Satsuki-chan, Aomine-san, and you, Kuroko-san. But our family doesn't really believe in flimsy things like trust and friendships." Kotomi's rests her hand on the table, staring blearily at it, when another hand from across the table lays itself on top. It was warm and slightly calloused, but still soft. It tightens on her hand, and Kotomi looks up to meet an intensity in Kuroko's eye unmatched to anything she's ever seen in him before.

"I can't speak for Aomine-kun or Momoi-san, but you can trust me, Fujisaki-san. I have no proof, but trust isn't flimsy, and friendships can't be built without taking risks like trusting the people you want to be friends with, so I think it's okay to try to ask for help from your friends on things that worry you." Kotomi nods slowly. It did make sense but doing was much more than saying.

"Thank you, Kuroko-san," is all she can manage, offering a smile. "for listening. And for being my friend." Kuroko only returns his smile, and Kotomi turns her hand, holding the slightly larger hand in her own and squeezing it for just a moment before slowly pulling away. Kuroko moves to take a sip from his milkshake, pulling away abruptly when he realizes that their talk had left the delicious creamy treat nothing but colder than normal milk in a plastic cup.

"It seems our conversation was a little too intense."

"Ah, it was my fault, so I'll buy you another."

"…Are you sure you can handle ordering again?" Kuroko dodges the balled-up napkin thrown his way. As she walks away, Kuroko can't help opening up his phone, looking to the message Aomine had forwarded him last night, trying to visit the link that accompanied the message 'yo check this out!'

' **This video has been removed by the user.'**

Even if he feels relief for Kotomi, Kuroko can't help the twinge of disappointment he feels when he realizes that he won't be able to watch the video, if only to see her smile and move with such a captivating energy once more.

* * *

As they exit Maji Burger with Kuroko's newly acquired milkshake, Kotomi checks her phone again. It flashed with her mother's ID again. She had to call the moment she got home.

"Fujisaki-san, will you be taking the bus?" Kotomi puts her phone away to face him, smiling.

"No, actually. My godmother's apartment is nearby, so I think I'll just walk."

"Then allow me to walk you home." Kotomi opens her mouth to assure him that wouldn't be necessary, but realizing she didn't want to part ways just yet, Kotomi changes her tune.

"I would like that, thank you."

"Let's go." As the two walk together in silence for the first few minutes of the 10-minute walk back to Madoka's apartment, Kotomi realizes that this was the first time anyone from school would be seeing where she lived. It felt a little strange. No one from her school in London had ever come to her home before. Only frigid business partners and their equally frigid children. It makes Kotomi smile to feel like a real middle schooler now. Is this what she had been missing on in her solitary life in the UK?

"Kuroko-san…do you know anything about memes?" Kuroko glances at her with his brows slightly raised. "What?"

"Nothing…I never thought I would hear such a word come from your mouth, Kotomi. It's a little strange."

"…Could you not make me sound like I'm an old woman?" From there, they launch into a 10-minute conversation about the kinds of memes that made the other laugh. Kotomi found shock humor funnier than Kuroko, while Kuroko found it hard to resist animal videos. It made Kotomi realize that she missed having these kinds of conversation with Fujita, and she wonders what he's up to these days. Perhaps lunch with the both of them should become a more common occurrence.

* * *

When they finally arrive at Madoka's apartment, Kuroko stares wide-eyed at the large apartment building, complete with a front desk concierge, a fountain, and a doorman. Kuroko glances at Kotomi, speaking with a deadpan.

"Fujisaki-san…this is a little ridiculous."

"I-It's not mine, it's my godmother's!"

"I'm still quite irritated."

"That isn't my concern." Kotomi pouts at Kuroko's stare down until he turns away, his lips slightly upturned.

"I suppose I'll see you tomorrow, Fujisaki-san."

"…chan…." Kuroko stops as he's turning way to look back at Kotomi, who is playing with her hair and looking away with a small blush.

"Sorry?"

"….Fujisaki-san is too formal for friends, isn't it? So it's okay to speak to me less formally, like you do with Aomine-san." Kuroko's expression is unreadable, but inside he was fighting the urge to speak his mind to avoid teasing her anymore in fear that she would rescind her statement.

 _Cute._

"Then I'll call you Fujisaki-chan." Kotomi coughs to hide how pleased she is, nodding once.

"And I'll call you Kuroko-kun."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Fujisaki-chan."

"Mm, bye-bye, Kuroko-kun." The two friends part ways, and Kotomi makes her way back up to where Madoka lives with a skip in her step and a smile on her face. When she steps through the door, Madoka is sitting on the couch, staring at her phone with pursed lips curved into a frown. Kotomi walks in, setting her wallet and keys down with a questioning look at her guardian.

"Madoka?"

"Have you called your mother yet?" Her voice is less energetic than normal, though Kotomi suspects that this is because she just got home.

"No, sorry, I was busy." Madoka slowly stands up, seeming conflicted.

"She called me already. But you should still call her."

"Okay…" Kotomi's brow furrows as she tries to discern what in the world her godmother was trying to tell her. "Why so mysterious?" Madoka groans, murmuring something like 'why does it have to be me?' When she finally tells her, all the sound in Kotomi's ears suddenly become a muffling silence.

"Kotomi…your Grandfather Callum has been sick for the last few months. And…the doctor has just confirmed his illness is terminal."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **I almost feel bad ending the chapter like this. Kotomi has just started opening up, and has finally made her relationship with Momoi and Kuroko concrete.** **I CAN'T HELP IT I LOVE ANGST.** **Also, hehe, I love Nijimura, and he is pretty straightforward, so I think Kotomi would be drawn to him, as well. She tends to get along with people who are honest with their feelings, because it makes it easier for her to do the same. So she gets a cute moment with Nijimura. Fight me about it. I'm worried, because I feel like I'm not funny, but I hope I amused you a bit in this chapter? Because it was certainly fun to write. Maybe not? Anyway! Next chapter, Aomine confronts Kotomi, Kuroko's training pays off, and Kotomi has to deal with some family issues. I've only mentioned Kotomi's brothers briefly, but they'll be making an appearance! Until next time!**

 **Love,**

 **Silky**


	9. Never Alone, Beginning in the Middle

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke or Haikyuu, the characters or make any profit from this story. All characters and concepts belong to their respective owners. I just like writing. Please support official releases._**

 **Author's Note: I really, really like how this chapter turned out, and I hope you did too. I'm starting to really get a feel for how Kotomi is in her middle school years. I've always kind of focused on the canon when they were in high school, but actually her development in middle school mind change the way I originally planned for her to be, which is really interesting for me as a writer. So thank you for waiting and sticking with me! This is a bit of an Akashi-centered chapter, mostly because I think his similarity to Kotomi really helps her cement her place in the circle of friends!**

 **Thanks to wowowowowoowow, AnaJuarez, Zanas-kun, ReadAthon45, and TinAna for the favorites!**

 **Thanks to TinAna, lune-de-bleu, and for the follows! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Never Alone, Beginning in the Middle**

"…sick for months, and you never bothered to tell me?"

"Your Grandmother Cordelia demanded it…she didn't want it to interfere with your studies." Kotomi grits her teeth and tries not to raise her voice at her mother, though she compensates by angrily pacing back and forth in her room.

"How long…did the doctor say he has?" The very words threaten to dissolve the tissue of Kotomi's throat, as she tries her utmost to maintain a level tone.

"3 to 4 years, at most. We can try treatment, but the doctor says success rate is very low, and we should prepare to get his affairs in order." Kotomi swallows hard now, taking a deep, shaky breath.

"I want to come home and see him."

"Grandmother says not until summer break."

"But I—"

"I know, Kotomi, but your grandmother's word is law. I tried to change her mind and you know how well that goes." Kotomi catches the tantrum threatening to fall out of her mouth, and she sighs, her voice quieting with resignation.

"Alright, then…" There's a long silence on both ends of the phone. No conversation with her mother was all that pleasant, but for different reasons than her father or maternal grandmother. "Is there anything else, then? Otherwise, I'll be hanging up."

"Yes," Eliza's voice seems to lighten, if only slightly. "Tomoki will be released in a week. I don't know if that place has helped him even a little, but the warden has said he's mellowed out quite a bit." Kotomi feels a splash of relief in the mire inundating her chest, and she smiles weakly.

"I'm glad. Will he be following Ayato to the United States?"

"No." Kotomi blinks a few times, tilting her head. If not with Ayato, then who…unless…"He'll be staying with your grandparents in Kyoto and attending an all-boy's school." Kotomi feels conflicted about the excitement rising above her despair upon hearing this.

"W-What about his criminal record? Will Tomoki-nii be able to get in?" Kotomi's voice had a note of astonishment and hope to it, and she's smiling despite it all. Her precious older brother who has been in a facility for troubled youth in England for the last year and a half, would be coming to Japan?

"Don't worry about that, we'll take care of it. Your father is calling in a few favors." Kotomi lets go of a sigh of relief. She didn't care much for her father, but he wasn't always _completely_ useless or clueless.

"I'm glad he won't be at home."

"As am I. Well then, I don't have any other news to share. I'll call again once the details on Tomoki's arrival are solidified."

"Very well. A good day to you, mother."

"And a good night to you, Kotomi." When she hangs up, the conflicting extremes well up in Kotomi's chest, and she finds herself caught between giggling and crying at the same time. Madoka was likely sitting out her door, deeply concerned and only becoming more so with what she's hearing.

Her beloved grandfather was going to die, but the only sibling she felt any connection with was going to come to Japan, where she could see him more often. Kotomi finds herself falling backwards onto her bed, taking a deep breath and trying to sort out her feelings. As she thinks of her grandfather, and his bright green eyes and wispy blonde hair, she finds herself dreaming of her earliest memory with him:

 _"Hic…uuugh…huhhh…" A 7-year-old Kotomi rubbed her fists into her eyes, trying to sob as quietly as possible while she hid in the bushes. She paid no mind to the frantic footsteps not too far from her spot, to frantic voices calling her name. Her fingers still burned from the sharp sting of the ruler granted oh so kindly by her family matriarch._

 _"Now, what do we have here?" Kotomi started and found herself looking up at the whimsical emerald green irises of a handsome, elderly man with wispy blonde hair. She had seen him once or twice; she was meant to call this man grandfather Callum. But it was their first-time meeting directly, as far as she could remember. She had only just moved from Kyoto, and since then he had been in, out, up, and about all over the world with the publication on his discourse on fantasy novels, alongside his anthology of reinterpretation of classic fairy tales._

 _"A curious little girl searching for somewhere to cry? Hello, little Kotomi. It seems everyone's about to pull their hair out looking for you; shall I help you hide, or should we cut them all some slack and head inside?"_

 _"Grandfather Callum…" The elderly man chuckled and groaned a little with the effort as he crouched down amongst the sticks and leaves and caterpillars, all so he can be at eye level with his granddaughter. "You're back from your tour…?"_

 _"For some time. I needed a break from all the hustle and bustle of the world, as we all do every now and again. I see you're taking yours, but why in the woods? You're ruining your pretty dress." Kotomi sniffled again and brought her knees to her chest, resting her chin atop her knees._

 _"It's safe to cry in places no one can see me." Her grandfather's eyes saddened when he noticed the redness of Kotomi's wrists and fingers, angry red marls sure to leave purple and blue in their wake. He took her tiny hand in his, and Kotomi took note of the dark ink splotches on the collar of his shirt and on his cracked skin, his thumb brushing tenderly across her stinging flesh._

 _"That girl…always forgets she was quite atrocious on the violin once, too." Kotomi's eyes widened and her tears dried in her surprise. No one's ever called her grandmother a 'girl' before. And she couldn't imagine her grandmother being bad anything. "She always was a slow learner. Our parents disciplined us this way, but just because it worked doesn't mean it can't change. I'll talk to her for you, so try not to hate her, my sweet." He helped Kotomi stand, his smile warmer than Kotomi had ever experienced in her 7 years of life._

 _"But you seem strong and resilient. Like Alice Liddell in_ The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland _. Did you know, your ancestor, Lady Alice Reinwalt, was named after that Lewis Carroll book? Because she was an adventurer, a scholar, all the things a woman couldn't be in her time. But she was so clever, that young girl, that she braved a world that denied her and paved the way for our house as it is today." Kotomi had heard of her ancestor before, but never in this way._

 _"I've never read it. Grandmother Cordelia said it's a nonsense book." Her grandfather clicked his tongue in disapproval._

 _"I swear, her pride is unmatched to no other. I proposed to her with quotes from that book. She laughed all day about it! Saying it's a nonsense book, she's the nonsensical one!" Her grandfather's laugh was loud and hearty, and Kotomi couldn't help giggling along with him. "But what's life without nonsense? Such a dull world, I wouldn't dare imagine! Could you?" Frantically, Kotomi shook her head._

" _I want to read it, too." Kotomi said quietly, a smile playing on her lips as the last of her tears dried up. Callum looked down at her with a spark of joy in his eyes._

" _I know, why don't we give it a read while we have our morning tea, yes?" Kotomi nodded, her eyes widened in awe, and a grin stretching across her face so wide that it crinkled bridge of her nose._

 _"Really! Can we? Please?"_

 _"Of course! There we go!" Kotomi laughs and squeals as he suddenly scoops her up under the arms and holds her on his shoulder, letting her see the world from his perspective. "What a pretty smile my granddaughter has! Let's keep that up, now, shall we? And the next time you need to cry, you can come to my office and do it there, even when I'm not around. That's much safer than the woods." Kotomi looked down in hesitation, pursing her lips._

 _"But...I'm not supposed to cry. Grandmother says it's unbecoming of a lady. If she sees me, I'll be punished."_

 _"Yes, perhaps in front of other people, we shouldn't. But we're family. It's alright to share emotions with the people who love you, Kotomi. As strong as the Reinwalt family is, we are but human. As Lewis Carroll says: "There comes a pause, for human strength will not endure to dance without cessation; and everyone must reach the point at length of absolute prostration."_

 _While she didn't understand what he meant with that quote in the slightest, but Kotomi would always remember that morning tea tasted much better that day._

* * *

Morning Practice, Thursday

There was no proof, but Akashi Seijuro knew that Fujisaki Kotomi was…unsettled. She greeted them at morning practice, took statistics, gave out water bottles, joked with Momoi and the other managers, and scolded Murasakibara for eating during practice as per usual. But it seemed as though he was the only one who could tell that she was not her usual calm and collected self.

"It looks like Fujisaki-chan is extra cheerful today!"

"She's insanely pretty when she smiles like that…"

"Ehh, why don't you ask her out, then?"

"What? No way, she's totally out of my league!" The first stringer locks his friend's head under his arm while the other tousles his hair, all while laughing boisterously. Akashi listens to their banter before his eyes fall on Kotomi again. Nothing about her seemed out of the ordinary, and yet Akashi felt unsettled. Perhaps it was how much she was sighing today, or how her walks had a little less urgency than usual. Perhaps it was because when Momoi turned around, Kotomi seemed to become a little lost in her own head and she only reemerged when someone spoke to her.

Then her smile would return, and she would react the way she was expected to, laughing at jokes, huffing cutely at teasing and flirting, and talking seriously about her work. Otherwise, she kept to herself. Present, but distant, like the moon in the sky and the stars which surround it. But was it all his imagination, then?

 _The best thing he can do is ask her, right?_ As Akashi considers approaching her, to offer her his confidence, someone steps into his path.

"Oi, Kotomi." Kotomi turns to the blue-haired boy when he calls her, slightly caught off guard. She had been under the impression he wouldn't be talking to her again after their disagreement yesterday.

"Aomine-san, how can I help you?" The ace looks away and doesn't answer immediately. He rubs the back of his head and clicks his tongue in thought before he speaks.

"Listen, I'm sorry…I was out of line with the way I talked to you yesterday." Kotomi blinks a few times, tempted to try and clean out her ears to make sure she was hearing him correctly. She sighs a little, looking away with some hesitation.

"I…appreciate your apology, but you shouldn't concern yourself too much. You gave me much to think about. I already apologized to Kuroko-kun, too. It's not my place to place judgement on someone's potential." Kotomi smiles at him, pushing some hair behind her ear. "So I look forward to seeing what Kuroko-kun plans to do. Aren't you?" Aomine blinks a few times, as if he also needed to clean his ears out a little, and then he grins wide at her.

"Yeah, of course! I have a good feeling that he'll show us something we've never seen before!" Kotomi giggles a little, hiding it behind her hand. Her smile makes Aomine remember the dance video, and he furrows his brow in concern and a little bit of guilt.

"By the way, I saw the video Satsuki sent me, and she explained everything right after. I sent it to Tetsu, but don't worry! I'm sure he wouldn't share it!"

"It's alright," Kotomi assures him, smiling politely. "I already talked to Kuroko-kun. Everything is taken care of."

"Oh, really? That's good then…" Aomine fidgets a little, now feeling stupid that he even brought it up, and Kotomi feels the corners of her mouth twitch, threatening to let a laugh spill out. Momoi had mentioned that he had a cute side, and she was starting to see it. He was definitely much more awkward when he wasn't on the court.

"But you don't need to apologize. I'm glad you scolded me. I think that you had a point, and I'm glad I can see differently now. I want to see both Kuroko-kun and this team succeed. Just like you said, it's all over once we give up. So I won't." Aomine blushes and scratches his cheek, laughing to cover up his embarrassment.

"You heard me, huh?"

"If you hadn't said that, I would have burst into the room and scolded you for being so rude to me."

"Hey, you said it's okay because I'm cool, already!"

"That is certainly not what I said!" Kotomi gapes in slight awe. "Calling yourself cool isn't cool, Aomine-san!"

"I-I ain't! You didn't stop me because you thought I was cool, right?"

"Think again, you braggart!"

"Talk normally, you robot!"

"You really are a class act, aren't you?" After a brief pause, the two break into a smile and a laugh before the captain is calling the players back for another drill. Aomine turns, but pauses and looks back at Kotomi, pointing at her with a grin.

"I hope I get to see you dance again soon, though. It was really cool. Way too cool for a robot like you." Kotomi puffs her cheeks out and her brow furrows.

"Keep talking like that, and you won't!" With a childish snicker, Aomine bids her goodbye with a wave, which Kotomi returns before picking up her clipboard once again. She hums softly as she works. Her mind is starting to wander again when a giant shadow looms over her, eclipsing her work. Without looking up, Kotomi sighs slightly.

"Murasakibara-san, you're blocking my view, again."

"Sorry, Koto-chin." Kotomi turns around, lips parted to ask him why he was over here when the captain already called for him, but it's cut off when she finds her mouth stuffed with a surprise cookie. Kotomi glances up with a raised eyebrow at Murasakibara, but the purple giant merely pats one massive hand on her head, ruffling up her hair again.

 _Why do people like to do that so much…?_

"Koto-chin, try to look less sad, okay? It's hard to play when you are. Eating snacks always makes me feel better." Kotomi's eyes widen in surprise when she hears this, pulling the cookie out of her mouth and chewing as quickly as she can without choking.

"What makes you think I'm sad?" Murasakibara hums softly, before ultimately shrugging his shoulders already starting to head back.

"I can just tell." A beat of silence before Kotomi answers, chiding but with a softer tone than she's used prior.

"You told me you threw away all your snacks, Murasakibara-san."

* * *

After Afternoon Practice

"Ko-chan! Let's get ice cream!" Momoi jumps on her back, almost toppling both girls if it weren't for Kotomi grabbing the closest thing she could find purchase. Luckily, Midorima was quite steady on his feet.

"Uwah! Satsuki-chan, please be more careful!" Kotomi sighs with exasperation expelling from her lungs, but with a smile on her lips. Kuroko had told her that he wanted to try some things on his own, so there was no need for her to be there. Actually,

"I'll look uncool, so please don't come," is how he phrased it? As much as she would like to tease her newly made friend, perhaps ice cream with a friendly face would do her some good.

"Ice cream, huh? I'll come too." Aomine appears as he's walking out, followed by Murasakibara.

"No way, this is girl time! You can't come!"

"Hah? Don't be so cold, Satsuki."

"Koto-chin, will you buy my ice cream?"

"Not after you refused to listen to my third request for you to put away your snacks." Murasakibara whines childishly, but sticks to pouting, his giant form completely covering her shadow.

"You're all going out?" Akashi asks, being the last of them to exit the gym.

"Yep! For ice cream! Akashi-kun, Midorin, want to come with?"

"Oi, I thought you said this was girl time."

"You and Mukkun ruined it, so we might as well do some team bonding!"

"So annoying…" Midorima sniffs affixes his glasses once more to the bridge of his nose.

"I have no interest in something so arbitrary." Momoi watches Midorima with some incredulity, smiling mischievously before hugging Kotomi's arm.

"Ne, Ko-chan, you wouldn't you like Midorin to come with us?" Kotomi smiles at him, nodding.

"It would be nice. In all honesty, I'd like to be around everyone today." Midorima shifts, swallowing hard and fiddling with his glasses. When he notices Momoi staring at him with knowing eyes, his cheeks turn red and he scoffs.

"I have to get home right away." Without waiting for anyone to stop him, Midorima walks ahead of everyone else. Momoi huffs, pouting.

"I was so sure it would work."

"What would work, Satsuki-chan?"

"Eh!? Oh, nothing, Ko-chan!"

"Akachin, what about you?"

"I'm afraid I can't." Despite his calm demeanor, Kotomi notices a trace of longing in his voice, and the way he seems to avert his gaze is quite familiar. "I have to be home right away as well; I have violin lessons."

"I guess it's just us three, huh, Kotomi?" Aomine wraps an arm around Kotomi grinning brightly while Kotomi merely rolls her eyes.

"I'm not paying for your ice cream, either. Don't think I don't know about those 'android' rumors, and how you've been the one spreading them."

"Che, you're surprisingly vindictive."

"A family trait."

"Ne, can we go already?" As they begin to walk, Kotomi pulls out her phone, pulling up her messages. With a slight frown, she sees yet another message to Fujita left on read.

"Ko-chan, is something wrong?" Kotomi looks up from her phone and smiles, shaking her head.

"No, nothing at all. I just wanted to send a message." Akashi watches the rest of them leave, his mild-mannered smile slowly melting off his face as a sleek black car pulls up to the school's entrance. He would have loved to go with them for ice cream…

"Young Master Akashi…" His chauffer opens his door for him, and he's slipping into the car, his phone lights up with a message. He checks it as they're driving home, unable to stop the smile that forms as he reads every word like it was a riveting book.

* * *

 **To: Akashi Seijuro 6:14 PM**

 **From: Fujisaki Kotomi**

 **Sorry you weren't able to join today. Why don't you come to my grandparents' this weekend in Kyoto? I'm sure they would like to send their regards to your father. We can get ice cream there, too! : )**

His driver seems to notice his smile, glancing up at the young man through his rearview mirror.

"Did something good happen today?"

"Yes, it did. Please have my secretary clear my schedule for this weekend."

"What? But young master…"

"I'll make up for it next week; I'll deal with my father on the matter."

* * *

"I don't think that memes should be commercialized." Kotomi nods in agreement with Momoi's conclusion, sucking thoughtfully on her melon flavored ice cream. "It takes away from internet culture and somehow it isn't as effective."

"I think that it makes sense if the company was involved on the internet at first, though." The dark-haired girl counters. "The humor of this generation has a certain flow to it that requires immersion to understand. That's why it's important to hire young people from the demographic you're trying to reach on social media and such."

"Oh! You might be right about that!" Momoi gasps as she leans in. "I wonder what kind of studies exist on issues like that!" Aomine groans, looking about ready to throw himself at an oncoming truck. Aren't girls supposed to talk about like makeup and boys? Anytime he walked by the two of them, they were always talking about a study they've read or statistics.

"Can we talk about something less boring? A joke isn't funny when you think that deeply about it."

"Maybe Aomine-kun is just too dumb to understand!" Momoi giggles as her childhood friend shoots a glare at the both of them, considering Kotomi snickers a bit as well.

"Well, what do you want to talk about, Aomine-san?"

"Por—" Momoi shoves the rest of her ice cream into Aomine's mouth before he can finish that disgusting answer. "Mppphhgh!" Aomine flinches and writhes in pain as the freezing cold assaults the roof of his mouth far too quickly.

"Dai-chan!" The doors to the convenience store chimes as Murasakibara exits with his load of snacks. Even if he was tall, it seemed a bit excessive.

"Did Mine-chin say something gross again…?"

"Almost…Murasakibara-san, don't spoil your dinner by eating before you get home."

"Eh…? I'm whetting my appetite." Murasakibara pouts as she shoves a Maiubo stick into his mouth, cheeks puffing out like a squirrel's. Kotomi tries not to find him cute but she's finding it a little difficult. Aomine finally swallows the ice cream with a choke and a cough.

"That almost killed me, Satsuki!"

"Good! Don't corrupt Ko-chan's mind!"

"Corrupt…?" Momoi throws her arms around the young girl again, sighing dramatically.

"She's upset, so don't trouble Ko-chan today!" This surprises Kotomi so much that she pulls away. Aomine shoves his hands into his pockets and looks away, gruffly snorting in agreement. Aomine could tell, too…? Was she that easy to read?

"I'm not upset…is that why you invited me out today?" Momoi raises an eyebrow and crosses slender arms while she looks to Kotomi.

"You think we couldn't tell…? You spend so much time with us, Ko-chan."

"You're not as mouthy when you're upset, it kinda freaks me out." Aomine admits, rubbing the back of his head.

"Did something bad happen?" Murasakibara asks in between chewing. Kotomi look at each face, surprise shining in her eyes as she can't help but feel so touched. They invited her out and came together because they were concerned…

"I think Midorin and Akashi-kun can tell, too." Momoi admits.

"I saw Midorima looking up your horoscope in the locker room after practice."

"You're part of our team, Ko-chan. Of course we're concerned, so stop looking so surprised."

" _Friendships can't be built without taking risks like trusting the people you want to be friends with, so I think it's okay to try to ask for help from your friends on things that worry you."_

Kuroko's words seem to resonate in Kotomi's chest in a way that made her bottom lip tremble. She looks down, clutching her melting ice cream in her hand before parting her lips.

"My grandfather…the one in London, is sick. I just found out yesterday." The air seems to chill a little around them. "My family didn't tell me before, because they wanted me to focus on my studies…but we just found out we might have to get his affairs in order over the next few years." Momoi covers her mouth, worry in her cherry pink eyes. Even Murasakibara pauses in his snack consumption to stare at Kotomi.

Her stance was the most vulnerable they had ever seen; her shoulders were slumped, her eyes were lowered, lips pursed into a thin, tight line. It was such a contrast to the way she always seemed. Serene, confident, and certain.

"I take it you're close?" Momoi asks softly, as if unsure if it was okay to ask something so personal. But Kotomi nods without thinking twice about it.

"He made life so fun when I was in London." She swallows hard, not wanting to go into detail in fear she would become too emotional. "I don't think I would be able to handle life there without him. I'm not allowed to go home until break to see him, and I don't know how stable he is. I just…I get so worried when I think about it—"

"So don't think about it." Kotomi's eyes shoot up in surprise. Momoi gasps, glaring harshly at her friends' apparent callousness.

"Aomine-kun!" Aomine strolls up to Kotomi, looking down at her with a smile.

"What…?"

"He's still here, isn't he? Don't think ahead about that kind of thing. If I were your grandpa, I wouldn't want you to be sitting around worrying about me. I would want you to enjoy yourself, so you can tell me about all the fun things you did while you were away." Kotomi's mouth opens in soundless surprise as she realizes that Aomine had a point. Her grandfather always loved to live in the moment. Life is an adventure to him.

"Koto-chin should just do what she wants to do." Murasakibara chimes in as well. "What's the point in being sad about things you can't help? Just enjoy yourself." Momoi's expression melts from surprise to soft relief as she watches Kotomi's expression shift into something a little more positive, but still melancholy. It was an improvement.

"I think it's a little more complicated than that, Mukkun…but that's what friends are for, Ko-chan! When things get hard, you can talk about them with any of us!"

"We might not have the answers,"

"But we can always eat snacks together." Murasakibara finishes Aomine's thought, holding up a bar of candy.

"That's not what I was going to say!"

"But that's what we can do."

"Do you think about anything other than food?"

"Better food than lewd things like Mine-chin."

"Hah!?"

"Pft!" Kotomi hides her mouth behind her forearm as she laughs, cheeks pink and her eyes wet. She smiles at them with gratitude. Aomine's eyes widen slightly at the warmth in the depths of her eyes. It much like the look in her eyes when she danced in that video. Genuine enjoyment. He finds himself smiling as well as Momoi hugs Kotomi again, changing the subject to something more cheerful for the moment. Kotomi lets herself drift away into the release of pressure in her chest as she laughs and smiles with them.

 _I hope you make the First String soon, Kuroko-kun. You would fit in well._

* * *

That night, Madoka slowly pushes the door open to Kotomi's room. It had been cracked, so she suspected that the girl was up late again, either worrying her hair right off her head about her grandfather or drowning herself in work to distract herself. But when she pokes her head in, Madoka's lips turn upwards into a relieved smile at the small lump occupying the bed. Her hair disheveled and her mouth slightly hanging open, Kotomi sleeps peacefully, her expression one of contentment and promising a restful night. Slowly, Madoka closes the door, placing a hand on her chest as if it would sink to her stomach with how full it felt.

How long had it been since he last visited the Fujisaki estate? Akashi recalled attending a party at the enormous traditional home in the rural outskirts when he was very young, back when his mother was still around. His father ordered him to memorize the faces of everyone there, especially the children, who would likely grow to be his rivals, one day. He only vaguely remembered spotting Kotomi when greeting the elder Fujisakis. A timid thing hiding behind her grandmother's kimono, as if the smallest thing would spook the poor thing's soul out of her body.

Akashi is pulled out of his reverie when the front door slides open. Kotomi stands before him, dressed in a t-shirt tucked into a long skirt that ends at her shins. The last time he's seen so casual was when they met at the bookstore that one day.

"Akashi-kun!"

"Good day, Fujisaki-san." He greets her politely. The house servants behind her bow to Akashi respectfully.

"Come in, it's hot outside today, isn't it? It's perfect weather for ice cream."

"Yes, it is,. Before we go, though, I would like to greet your grandparents, is that all right?"

"Of course, follow me." Akashi steps inside and removes his shoes, one of the servants delicately placing a pair of house slippers in front of him. They walk together, and Akashi can't help but glance around. He knew next to nothing about Kotomi outside of school-related endeavors. He would be lying if he said that the mystery of her character intrigued and frustrated him.

The elder Fujisakis are sitting in their gardens behind the house, sipping at tea and enjoying some snacks when Akashi and Kotomi appear in the doorway. Both pre-teens bow respectfully in perfect unison, as they were taught since they were children.

"Fujisaki-sama, it pleases me to see you in good health." Fumiko nods her head in acknowledgement and returns a polite bow in her seat, while Hideaki stands and approchaes the red-head.

"It's been quitke some time since an Akashi has paid us a visit. It's heartening to see that there are some familiar faces at Teiko. It relieves my worries that the school would be too simple for Kotomi."

"Teiko is sufficient in challenging students like us. And Fujisaki-san is doing a wonderful job as manager in the basketball team." Akashi says.

"Hearing you say that is a relief, Akashi-kun. Thank you for being friends with our granddaughter and send your father our regards."

"Of course."

"Don't be afraid to come and visit again soon. I'd like to hear how much you've improved on the violin."

"I'd like to try your hand at kendo. I'm sure Masaomi-san has taught his son the importance of such arts?"

"Sofu-sama, I'm sure Akashi-kun gets enough training at home," Kotomi sighs. But this was good. They were taking an interest in him, which told her that they approve of her affiliation with him. "We're just going to go and have some ice cream." Something strange passes in the eyes of her grandfather, but Kotomi can't quite understand what the look he gives her is before its gone a moment later.

"Very well. Be safe, you two." Kotomi turns to Akashi, her hand brushing a bit against his as she tugs on his sleeve.

"Shall we go, then?" Akashi finds himself smiling, albeit softly, at their proximity. He follows her out the door, and her grandparents exchange a look with one another as the two classmates make their exit. They share a silent, unsaid sentiment.

"Ito." The young servant steps forward, head bowed.

"Yes, Fumiko-sama?"

"Please prepare a letter to Akashi Masaomi. This is an excellent opportunity to better relationships with the Akashi family."

* * *

The walk through Kyoto is silent between the two of them for a while, but with none of the awkward tension that she expects when there is a lull in the conversation. It's actually quite…peaceful. So peaceful in fact, that she is reluctant to break it. Akashi stares straight ahead, watching the line of trees and their green leaves swaying in the summer breeze. It's Akashi who finally breaks the silence.

"Summer is approaching soon."

"Yes, do you have plans for break?"

"I'll probably be at home, studying, practicing, and riding Yukimaru."

"Ah yes, the famed horse I've been hearing so much about?"

"Correct, I'm sure he'd love to meet you some time." Kotomi smiles and laughs a little at this, nodding.

"And I'm sure the feeling will be mutual, but I'll likely be returning to London for the break." Akashi looks quite surprised at this, tilting his head as he looks at her.

"Our summer break isn't that long, though." Kotomi looks down, not expecting this to come up so soon. Should she tell the truth? She feared ruining the tranquility and the pleasant summer day. Akashi watches her a long moment before speaking again.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but you seemed quite down during practice this week." Kotomi smiles sheepishly.

"As expected of Teiko, it seems that I can hardly hide anything from the students here…" Kotomi takes a deep breath. If she can tell Momoi and the others, then she could certainly tell Akashi. "My maternal grandfather fallen ill." Akashi's face expectedly falls, and Kotomi feels a twinge of regret for bringing it up.

"The one you're close too, isn't that right? You've mentioned him a few times before."

"Yes, that one."

"I'm so sorry." Kotomi waves a hand dismissively, though she gives him a smile of gratitude.

"He's quite old, and he's often foregone his health for his career. Still, I want to see him and spend as much time as I can with him, so I will probably not be available for practice during the summer."

"Of course, I understand. I'm sure the captain and the others will, too." Akashi seems to glance away again a moment. And…was he…fidgeting? As they arrive at the ice cream parlor, Kotomi thinks to ask him. But the cashier's bright and friendly voice momentarily distracts her.

"Welcome! How may I help you?"

"I'll have the jasmine green tea _kakigori,_ please." Akashi responds before turning to Kotomi expectantly. She blinks a few times before she realizes what he's waiting for.

"I-I'll have the wildberry gelato, please."

"Of course! That will be 14,000 Yen, please!" Kotomi pulls out the corresponding amount for her order, but Akashi is already handing over his card.

"Oh! You didn't have to do that, Akashi-kun!" He turns to smile at her as they head over to an empty table by the window.

"I know, I wanted to. Consider it my thanks for always keeping everyone in line at practice." Kotomi blinks a few times again, still processing. And then she smiles and laughs, bringing her hand to her mouth.

"It's no trouble, really. They're rowdy, but they're excellent players and even better people."

"Still, I'd like to show my appreciation for you, as a manager, a classmate, and a friend." Kotomi's cheeks turn pink at this, and she glances away in embarrassment, trying to hide how pleased she was to hear him say such a thing. Is this what it was like to have friends that were like you?

"Thank you very much, Akashi-kun. I'm glad we were able to meet." Akashi's lips turn up in a smile she's never quite seen before. It's warm and tender and genuine, much different than his princely charisma that she's seen girls swoon over at school. This smile has Kotomi swooning in a similar way."

"As am I, Fujisaki…chan." If her cheeks could get any redder, she might just pass out. In the last few months, it's felt her relationships were about as shallow as a bowl of water. And now, all of a sudden, she couldn't recall the last time she's felt so close to so many people.

" _Friendships can't be built without taking risks like trusting the people you want to be friends with."_ Kuroko's words echo in her head yet again. Was this all because she chose to start opening up to people? Is this how much things could change if she just put herself out here like this?

 _"Mama…Papa…anyone?" The little girl in the foyer sits on her knees and cries in that cold, empty space. "Someone please, I'm so lonely…" As tears begin to drip onto the floor below her, someone taps on her shoulder, reaching down to hold her hand. Kotomi perks up and turns around, blinking away the tears._

 _"Onii-chan…?" The figure standing above her smiles, pulling her to her feet and towards the front door._

 _"Ne, Kotomi, let's go play outside!" Kotomi's eyes light up, and she squeezes that hand tightly, hoping it would never let her go._

 _"Okay!"_

As the short but powerful memory plays in her head, Kotomi finds herself more at peace than she's ever been before. She can't help giggling to herself playing with her hair and twirling it in her fingers. Akashi watches her with some muted awe, lips slightly parted.

 _She's glowing…_ He's never seen her like this, before. Akashi finds Kotomi's energy rejuvenating, and he finds himself smiling as well, accompanied by a pinkish tinge to his cheeks.

"What in the world are you laughing at?" He asks. Kotomi shakes her head and reaches up to wipe away a stray tear born from both pain and joy at something so foolishly simple.

"It's nothing. I'm just…happy. I'm very glad I came to Japan." Akashi seems to like this answer, and the subject changes as their ice cream is brought to the table. They begin to chat about perhaps team outings, the summer training camps, and the national qualifiers that could come after their summer break in the winter. It was all so simple, but Kotomi had honestly never felt more at peace with herself in her life. It was just like that day in the foyer.

 _I was never really alone, I just never thought to reach out until someone called to me, first,_ Kotomi realizes. Just like her brother reached out, she promised herself to start doing the same to the people who wanted to be friends with her a little more.

It really feels like something was finally beginning.

* * *

" **Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"**

" **That depends a good deal om where you want to get to," said the Cat.**

" **I don't much care where-" said Alice.**

" **Then it doesn't matter which way you want to go," said the Cat.**

" **-so long as I get** _ **somewhere,"**_ **Alice added as an explanation.**

" **Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, if you only walk long enough."**

 **-Lewis Carroll,** _ **Alice in Wonderland**_

* * *

 **Author's Note: So, I've been pretty vague about Kotomi's brothers so far on purpose. They play a pretty important role in her story arc, but as emotionally stunted as her family is, she did have a good relationship with one of them. The other…well, you'll have to see what's happening there. I'm kind of nervous that I have too many plot points going that you guys aren't really sure what roles they play, but most of them have very little to do with the main story arc, and will affect the canon very little, but have a lot to do with affecting Kotomi and her interactions with a lot of characters. So thank you again for sticking with me, and I promise they all tie in with one another!**

 **Also, I really like Akashi's dynamic with Kotomi right now! I hope it survives the eventual change, sksksksksk**

 **Until next time, please leave a review!**

 **Love,**

 **Silky**


	10. A Change of Pace (95)

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke, the characters or make any profit from this story. All characters and concepts belong to Fujimaki Tadatoshi, Shonen Jump, Viz Media, and Shueisha. I just like writing. Please support official releases._**

 **Author's Note: My abroad semester in Japan is almost over! Dude, it was so stressful, but so fun. I have such a better grasp on Japanese, and I bought all the KnB light novels. I'm sports anime trash. But I'm hoping I can continue to characterize the characters better now that I have a better grasp. Thank you all so much for waiting. This chapter is kind of light on plot, so I made it a half chapter. But I hope you still enjoy it! Updates should be coming a little quicker now! You guys are amazing!**

 **Thank you to:** YozoraDoragon, Multitool SS, SilentSkyBrightStar,Reo-kun,AnimeAngels556, luckyhgirl, and jjvgf1999,

 **for the favorites and follows!**

 **Warning: Profanity, a touch of violence, and lots of weird energy**

* * *

 **Chapter: A Change of Pace**

"Good morning!" The recipients of her greeting had no time to speak before she was gone again, like a sudden gust of wind that carried away the kite of an unsuspecting child at the park. As she enters the hallway, she runs right into a tall young man with golden blonde hair. He regards her with confusion as Kotomi rubs her nose and looks up, blinking like a deer in headlights.  
When summer break ended, and people were returning to school, as did Fujisaki Kotomi. She arrives on foot like everyone else. Yet everyone couldn't help but stop and watch the young girl make her way past the school gates. Her hair resting at the spot where her neck met her shoulders, not a single strand out of place, Kotomi seemed to bounce as she walked passed her classmates. She smiled brightly and giggled with a youthful smile that send middle school boys swooning.

"Oh! My apologies. Did I hurt you?" The young man raised an eyebrow and tilted his head, one silver earring shining under the morning sun. " She spoke in perfect _kenjogo,_ not a single syllable misplaced. She spoke that way the first time they met at the studio too; he was just too flustered at the prospect of being spotted by someone from his school to notice.

"No, you didn't." She sighed in relief and nodded in satisfaction at his reaction. He hummed in disinterest as she young woman made her way through the halls. Kise Ryota watched the young girl over his shoulder, still wondering quietly to himself.

 _Does she seem…different, somehow?_ He was surprised to see the young woman stop and turn to face him, face still beaming as she speaks in a sweet and sugary voice. _Nah, I don't know anything about her, I'm just-_

"Next time, watch where you're walking, _ya damn tall fuck._ " Kise chokes on his spit as he blanched and whipped around to face her entirely now. But the girl was already moving quickly away, seeming to weave through the crowds as if she was dancing. Kise could only stand there in abject shock, mouth gaping and the golden hues of his irises almost popping out of his head.

 _What the_ Hell _was that!?_

"Fujisaki-chan, welcome back." Akashi is the first to greet Kotomi as she walks through the doors. Her eyes travel down the length of the red-headed boy's face and the rest of him before traveling over to the green-haired boy, who seems to be lurking behind the former. Her expression is unreadable for a moment. And then her smile returns.

"Thank you very much. It's a pleasure to see both of you. If you'll excuse me." Both middle schoolers are surprised by her lackluster reaction to their greetings. She takes her seat and immediately pulls out a cell phone and headphones, slipping them on and turning on some music. Akashi's brows fly up above his hairline as he spots the shiny metal in the brief moment that Kotomi brushes her hair past her ears.

 _Piercings?_ Several of them. Including a small bar running through the visible ear's helix. He was never paying close attention to her ears, but Akashi was sure Kotomi had only had one piercing the last he saw her. It might be new, or she doesn't wear it every day and she may have forgotten. Either way, both thoughts were very absurd to him. He didn't think Kotomi to be the type, and Akashi had been under the impression that she normally only wore the same blue sapphire studs her grandfather gave her for her 10th birthday. What exactly happened in this last month?

 _Perhaps I'll ask her after practice._ Akashi takes his seat. Both he and his green-haired companion were staring intently at their friend and team manager. Midorima was just as floored as his classmate, but not as much in a curious fashion.

This new discovery completely warped his perception of the young woman. Perhaps all the yammering Aomine was making about Kotomi having a wild side wasn't just the ramblings of a lazy idiot. Midorima felt a deep sense of disappointment as he finally tore his eyes away from Kotomi, who still wasn't removing her earphones despite the teacher coming in and trying to start his lessons.

 _What on earth are you doing, Fujisaki?_ Midorima's eyes dart toward the board and the silhouette of his classmate and manager dutifully paying the _least_ attention she could to today's lesson. Everyone seemed to have noticed it. Their classmates were also looking back at Kotomi with the most bewildered expressions. This was so unlike her.

"Fujisaki." The entire class tenses as the teacher suddenly calls out the name of the unattentive student. Kotomi doesn't look up from whatever she's browsing on her phone, not does she acknowledge being called. "Fujisaki!" Kotomi looks up finally, pulling one earphone out and cocking her head to the side.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to tell us about the lesson today, since you're familiar enough with it to think about something else?" Kotomi glances around, and finally realizes that every pair of eyes in the room were on her. She shrugs her shoulders a little and stands up, glancing at what is on the board for a moment. Then, she nods.

"Mori Ougai's _Maihime_ is among the first literature to every introduce the concept of romance not just terms of the genre, but as a societal concept as well. It also follows the themes of cultural isolationism and the subversion of stereotypical gender roles. Whereas the protagonist Toyotaro is the man, he is an outsider in comparison to the German girl Elise. Therefore, he inherently lacks the same 'power' that a man traditionally holds over a woman. It's a tragedy precisely because it's Toyotaro's own emasculation and inability to cope with the change he so desired that destroys what he _thought_ was the change he's wanted all along."

"I…" The teacher was truly at a loss for words.

"In my opinion," She continued. "I don't think it was really a romance at all. Toyotaro took advantage of Elise and her affection for him. His love was on the same level that a child has for his toy."

"Okay, Fujisaki-san…"

"He loved the idea of her, but not the woman. And that's demonstrated by him leaving her once she was no longer entertaining to him."

"Fujisaki-san."

"I don't think Toyotaro was capable of love, and neither is Mori—"

"Fujisaki!" When the teacher finally cuts Kotomi off, the room is so quiet a mouse's cough would echo. The teacher's head whips back to the board, as if thinking that somehow all of that had been conveyed by the few words he wrote.

"I was listening to a podcast about it this morning, and I just wanted to finish it to contribute better to the class. Please forgive my insolence." Kotomi folds her hands in front of her and bows.

"I…yes, well, you can listen to it after class, can't you? For now…just try not to be a distraction anymore."

"Yes sir." Kotomi sits back down, still using her phone, but now on the desk where Midorima could no longer see what she was doing. He glances at Akashi, who is caught somewhere between amusement and confusion. He felt the same, but with a dash of irritation. Since when was Kotomi suddenly so disrespectful? He can't tear his eyes away and when Kotomi looks up at him suddenly, he feels his cheeks heat up from the embarrassment of being caught. It doesn't help that Kotomi suddenly smiles, bringing her finger to her lips and smiling mischievously. Midorima quickly whips his head away, tearing his gaze from hers and burying it in the pages of his copy of the book with red cheeks.

* * *

Murasakibara, the giant that he is, is trudging through the halls like a zombie just after morning class. He yawns, mouth open so wide it looked like it could just unhinge and swallow the nearest classmate whole. He hated the first day back to school after a long break. He had been reluctantly coming to practice the whole month, but something about sitting all day had him even more exhausting than running down the length of a court all day.

 _Crap, I should have stopped at a convenience store before I came…_ The purple giant laments. He checked his supply right before leaving, but in his morning indolence, he told himself he would buy his snacks at lunch time. _I'm gonna die before noon..._

It's then that he spots his savior rounding the corner. Kotomi is still listening to music, staring straight ahead. She quite obviously sees Murasakibara, cornflower blue scanning him quickly before she continued on her way. It annoyed him when she didn't seem fazed by him. Not even a hello? Murasakibara was quick to puff his cheeks out, reaching out to grab her arm and stop her.

"Oi, Fuji-chin, you didn't tell me you were back. Do you have any snacks?" The only time he doesn't drawl is when the pre-teen is out looking for food. Kotomi pauses her walk, slowly turns to him. The look she gives him could only be described as the face a miser would make if asked him to donate money. Murasakibara quickly let go in his shock. He had never seen a look like that on her face before.

" _Don't_ touch me so familiarly. I'm sure I've told you this before. Why are all you so freakin' _tall?_ " Kotomi quickly saunters away, never having removed her earbuds. Murasakibara glares and huffs childishly after her, wondering what the hell that was about. And more importantly, if she's mad at him…

…did that mean no more after-practice snacks?

* * *

Afternoon classes were the worst, according to Aomine. Which is why he never went. The roof top was especially his best friend at times like these. Something about the outdoor breeze ruffling his hair, the rustling leaves of the trees below, and the distant call of nearby birds was the perfect lullaby. Not to mention, he had just bought a new gravure magazine which kept him up all night. A nap was beckoning to him like a siren's call.

When he was approaching the door that led to the rooftop however, he heard the faint voice of someone talking behind the door. Aomine feels a grumbling annoyance building in his stomach as he opens the door, poking his head out to see who was standing in the way of his nap. To his surprise, it's Kotomi. She's on her phone, apparently talking to someone.

"Calm down, I didn't do anything terrible. You're overreacting. There's nothing wrong with it." Her voice was a little different, and the way she spoke was a lot rougher than he was used to. Granted, it gave him less of the creeps than her abnormally formal speech. "I'll go home when the day is over, calm down!" She laughs, the sound more carefree and less restrained.

"Oi." Aomine called out carefully. Kotomi paused, ending her call and turning around with a smile, looking Aomine up and down, the corners of her mouth twitching and falling ever so slightly.

"Can I help you?"

"I…didn't know you were back." It's all he could say. Something didn't feel quite right. His eyes scanned Kotomi up and down, his eyes narrowing in on something amiss about the basketball team manager. Things definitely weren't adding up. "What happened to you?" Kotomi tilts her head, blinking innocently.

"Whatever could you mean?" There's that fancy talk again. Was she messing with him all this time? Was she really just faking the prim and proper act? Maybe he could get along with her this way. But he was still creeped out by the fact that she's faking parts of her personality. Kotomi only stands there, hands folded in front of her. "Hello?"

"Did you…?" Aomine is not a guy who knows how to mince his words. And he wasn't going to start trying today. "Did your boobs shrink?"

Aomine knows he's crossed a line when the smile completely falls from Kotomi's lips. Her eyes narrow and darken a shade. Even though the girl was much shorter than him, the expression made Aomine he regretted asking. Kotomi walked towards him, eyes narrowed. Aomine doesn't move back, but he does raise an eyebrow. Kotomi didn't strike him as the violent type, and he certainly wasn't threatened. But his heart skips a beat as she suddenly grabs him by his tie, forcing him to bend down so that his face was level with hers.

They were so close that their noses were almost touching, much to the blushing Aomine's surprise. Kotomi smelled a lot like lilies, he found. But even he knew when to keep his mouth shut, so he kept the observation to himself.

" _Never,"_ she hissed at him, shaking her tie-clenching fist with eyes shooting as much venom as her voice. "Speak about my body like that again." Aomine takes a big gulp of air, which had been sucked out of his lungs by the fear and irritation that runs down to his toes. He yanks himself back, retrieving his tie with a harsh glare. This girl made hardly any sense.

"You don't gotta be like that." Aomine takes several steps back. The icy fire of her glare could simultaneously freeze over hell and defrost the Arctic.

"The same for you." The two glared heatedly at each other for what seems like an eternity. Aomine can't seem to get a read on how Kotomi is behaving. He always suspected something was odd about her, but to think she had this much of a personality gap exceeded his expectations.

"Did something happen when you went back?" Aomine asked cautiously. "Like with you grandpa or somethin' like that? Why are you being such a bitch?" Kotomi's expression seems to relax slightly into something less hostile, but she is still on guard.

"None of your business."

"It is when you're acting like a psycho. We're supposed to be friends, aren't we?" The questions seems to soften Kotomi further, as her tensed shoulders relaxes.

"Why would I be friends with someone like you?" The tone of her voice is genuinely questioning, but Aomine still feels the sting of an unintentional offense prickle his skin.

"I don't know, ask yourself! The only reason we even met was because we were both trying to hep Tetsu. I thought we were cool after that, but that stick up your ass is especially wide today. If you're going to be a bitch all day, then you can deal with Captain Nijimura chucking basketballs at you to fix that attitude of yours!"

"Basketball?" Kotomi's brows shoot up towards her hair line and all her hostility dissipates, supplanted by utter astonishment and confusion. But before they can venture any further, the door to the roof flies open, silencing both of them.

"Mou, Dai-chan! Stop skipping class! The teachers always sends me because they know I know you!" Aomine scoffs in both relief and irritation. All he wanted was a damn nap and he was being threatened at every turn today. Momoi charged in, small strands of pink baby hairs falling out of a normally neatly done ponytail, and her slender pink brows turned towards the slender bridge of her nose. The heat of her cherry pink eyes is initially directed at her childhood friend. But soon, they find the bewildered Kotomi. A smile spreads across her pretty features, dousing the fire of irritation as she excitedly throws her arms in the air.

"Ko-chan! You didn't tell me you were back, yet!" She runs towards Kotomi, and Aomine watches as panic overtakes the girl who was just previously threatening him. Her shoulders tense once more, she takes several steps back, and her body twists at impressive angles in order to dodge Momoi's hug. Momoi hops on one foot to catch her herself, coming to stand by her childhood friend. The two watch as Kotomi runs to the door, turning around, cheeks pink as she sends a panicked expression their way, suddenly reduced to a stammering, rosy-cheeked mess.

"S-Sorry, I…I have to go!" She threw the door open and sprinted out, fleeing the scene leaving nothing behind but two bewildered middle schoolers.

* * *

 **-Practice; after school-**

"Hasn't Fujisaki been acting a little strange?" Midorima's question catches the attention of everyone at practice. Aomine scoffs, Momoi hides a worried expression behind a clipboard, and Murasakibara pouts.

"I agree. I believe something must have happened at home." Akashi adds.

"Oh, poor Ko-chan. She wouldn't even let me hug her. She must be hurting."

"Who cares what that stick in the mud is thinking? We should just leave her be until she stops being so moody." Aomine offers, bouncing the ball languidly.

"That's insensitive, Aomine." Midorima insists, glaring at he young man.

"You're just biased because Fuji-chin is cute, Mido-chin." Midorima chokes indignantly, turning red-faced as Murasakibara shrugs his wide shoulders. "She was mean to me too, so I hate her."

"She was acting so strange," Momoi says, "I want to go visit her at home to check on her…" No one says a word with this. The door to the gymnasium opens suddenly.

"Excuse my intrusion…" Several heads dart up to see the newcomer. Kotomi walks into the gymnasium, her hair ending just past her shoulders, dressed in a nice blouse and slacks. She carried a large giftbag with her. "Hello, everyone. Please excuse my appearance, I'm on my way home from the airport and I thought I would drop by with some souvenirs for after practice."

Her friends aren't the only ones with bewildered expressions. Momoi runs over to Kotomi, partly excited, confused, and curious to see their strange friend.

"Ko-chan!" This time, Kotomi caught Momoi despite the bags in her hand, hugging the pink haired girl with a small giggle. "Wait, you're coming back from the airport?" Momoi pulls away to regard her friend in confusion.

"Yes, there was a storm in London so I'm afraid my flight was cancelled. I meant to e-mail you, but I fell asleep at the airport and then woke up right before takeoff! It was awful of me." She bowed to everyone. "My apologies!" When she doesn't receive a response from her friends, Kotomi slowly raises her head. Everyone was looking at her like she had just been dropped out of a UFO and spoken in an alien language. "Are you all…alright?"

"Ko-chan…are you…feeling okay?" Momoi sounded relieved, but also like she was approaching a wounded animal.

"Yes…? Perhaps a little jetlagged. Did I…say something?"

"Are you kidding?" Aomine has finally snapped out of his trance. "You've been acting like a psycho all day!" Kotomi wrinkled her nose as she scrutinized him in confusion.

"What are you going on about, Aomine-san?"

"If this is a prank, I swear to—" Akashi suddenly steps forward, approaching Kotomi with his brow furrowed slightly in thought. An explanation popped into his head, but he would need confirmation from the woman herself.

"Fujisaki-san…we all spoke with you today. And you were acting…different." Recognition flashed through Kotomi's face within seconds, just as realization crossed everyone but Murasakibara's and Aomine's. Momoi covers her face and her head whips to every face in the small circle they've made before it falls to Kotomi. Her face darkened, giving Aomine and Murasakibara reminiscent shudders of earlier today.

"I see. Would you excuse me a moment? I will be right back." Leaving the bag of gifts at the door, Kotomi slips her outdoor shoes back on and stalks away like an animal on the prowl.

"…Akashi," Midorima ventures, eyes darting over to his red-haired companion. "Do you think…?" Akashi hums thoughtfully.

"It's entirely possible."

"Excuse me," Aomine groaned. "I'm still lost as hell. What just happened?"

"This is annoying," Murasakibara murmured. But he might as well stay in the conversation because his other option was actually exercising. Akashi steps forward, always the voice of reason in the short time he's been co-captain of this team.

"Allow me to explain…"

* * *

 **-Outside the Third String Gym, a few minutes earlier-**

Kuroko was following a lost ball outside the open gym doors when he saw a familiar face strolling around the path leading up to the gym. In her hands bounced the ball that had rolled away. Kuroko gazed impassively at the newcomer, who had yet to have noticed him, even when he started making his way over to her.

"Fujisaki-chan." The young woman almost threw the ball at him, but the blue-haired shadow quickly dodged in equal surprise.

"What the hell!" She leaped back several feet, hands on her chest. "Who the hell and why the hell!?" Such language coming from his normally proper friend surprises Kuroko enough that his normally impassive disposition subverted itself with the widening of his eyes. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry…? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" She wheezed, grasping at her chest and panting. "I just…I just have to catch my breath!" Kuroko watched her while she gaped like a fish, his brow narrowing the slightest bit.

"You…you're not Fujisaki-chan…" The thought as it leaves his lips sounds almost absurd. The supposed Kotomi looks shocked at first, and so wounded that for just a moment Kuroko thinks he may have made a misstep, but then the pre-teen breaks into a smirk that makes his skin crawl.

"Jeez, about damn time. Speakin' all this fancy pants Japanese just really ain't for me, ya know?" The sardonic drawl and sudden shift from Kotomi's perfectly mimicked intonation had Kuroko bristling with discomfort.

"Just who are you, exactly?"

"A clone."

"Stop that."

"Stupid questions get stupid answers. Who do you _think_ I am?" Kuroko doesn't need to think very long to find his conclusion.

* * *

" _A twin!?"_ Momoi and Aomine exclaim together. Midorima beside them is plugging his ears.

"Akashi," Midorima asked, pulling his fingers out. "Are you sure about that? They really looked like Fujisaki."

"Fuji-chin would never yell at me like that person did today." Murasakibara adds.

"I didn't think she had an identical twin…I can't believe it." Momoi huffs and places her hands on her hips.

"Fujisaki-chan has said several times that she has two brothers. It didn't occur to me at all that one may be a twin." Akashi places a hand to his chin, pensive. "And moreover, he has an incredible disagreeable personality if he's masquerading around as his sister."

"Or just he's just an asshole."

"Aomine-kun!"

"Mine-chin is just mad because he probably said something pervy to her brother and now they're both going to hate him." Aomine visibly flinches, before straightening up and going quiet.

"…."

 _He definitely did._ Everyone thought at the exact same time. But the blue-haired ace is quick to shake it off.

"But it doesn't matter! I'm not the one disrupting the peace here! What the hell was he doing coming to school as Kotomi?"

"It's better that we ask him ourselves, isn't it?" Akashi poses. After a few moments of silence, Murasakibara finally asks:

"So wait, where did the two of them go, anyways?"

* * *

Kuroko was in a standoff with the unnamed brother of his increasingly mysterious friend. Kotomi never spoke much about her family life, and he wasn't one to pry. But maybe he would at least have liked a warning before the twin brother he didn't know existed approached her, trying to scare him off. It wasn't exactly how he thought his day would go, and he wasn't sure how to escape this development.

"What is your name? I don't want to keep calling you your sister." The young man scoffs, crossing his arms. The imposter shrugs and snickers with enough venom underlying each hitched breath that it truly felt there was something incredibly devious about this person.

"I'm an evil clone from an alternate universe. I'm here to warn you of your impending doom."

"This isn't funny."

"I never said it was supposed to be." The Kotomi lookalike shrugged. He was trying to get under Kuroko's skin. Kuroko knew that much. But he wasn't going to give in. At least not until he knew for sure where Kotomi was and what the nature of her relationship with this person was. Of course, this had to be one of her brothers, but she never mentioned that one of her brothers was in fact a _twin_ brother. His mind makes the connection that Kotomi had mentioned siblings before, perhaps once or twice in passing but never elaborating. The young man looks Kuroko up and down, smirking.

"Calm down, I was kidding. The name's Fujisaki Tomoki. I'm just tryin' to have some fun, trying to get reacquainted with the fatherland, you know?"

"Does Fujisaki-chan know that you're doing this?" Tomoki snorts, running fingers through his hair and pushing his bangs away from his forehead.

"Oh, don't tell me that _you're_ Kotomi's friend, too? Pretendin' to care about her an' all that shit? Don't make me laugh. Like she could give a damn about anyone here." Kuroko's eyes twitch slightly and his brow furrows. He didn't know how their relationship was, but it didn't seem quite positive, based on what he was hearing. And that made him worry.

"It sounds more like you're talking about yourself."

"Ooh, good one." Tomoki sneers. "You gonna try to psychoanalyze me, baby boy?" Kuroko's brow twitches with irritation. How could someone like Kotomi be related to someone like this? Tomoki bats his eyelashes at Kuroko, holding his cheeks and squishing them together "Aaaw, what's wrong? Did I touch a nerve? You gonna go cry to mommy?"

"Is Fujisaki-chan here today? Does she know you're here?"

"None of your business. Aren't you guys friends? Shouldn't you know this already? I'm sure you'd like to think Kotomi is some kind of goody goody two-shoes with a lot of money, but she has issues just like anyone else."

"I know that."

" _Bull shit."_ The brother snaps, advancing on Kuroko so quickly that the middle schooler takes a step back in his shock. Even If he knew they were not the same person, seeing such a fierce expression on a face identical to his usually temperate friend was unnerving. "You don't know her or me, and you never will." Kuroko doesn't back down, despite himself. Kuroko was not the kind of person who would let others push him around, and he especially wasn't going to let anyone talk about his friend like that.

"I don't know anything about Fujisaki-chan, but I do know she's working hard to open up to people. I won't let you walk around trying to ruin that for her." Tomoki's eyes widen and his jaw clenches as Kuroko eyes him with a glimmer of determination. It made the twin sick to his stomach, but only rage pours out from every cell in his body. Tomoki stalks over. They were about the same height at this point, but Tomoki's presence smothered Kuroko's own out of existence.

"And what are _you_ going to do about it?" His voice is low and menacing, the promise of violence spilling from his lips like water from a boiling kettle. Kuroko, ever unphased, doesn't move an inch.

"Nothing. All I can say is: If you care about Fujisaki-chan at all, you'll stop this. Otherwise, you'll hurt her." Tomoki looks taken aback, even hurt. It surprised Kuroko that something seems to deeply affect the young man.

"I'm not-!"

" _Tomoki!"_ The tense atmosphere is finally cut when Kotomi comes running from the path leading to the gym. Almost immediately, Tomoki's shoulders relax, and his expression shifts completely. The furrowed brow loosens, a smile spreads across his lips, and he opens his arms for his sister, cornflower blue meeting cornflower blue as he laughs.

"Koto!" Kuroko almost doubles over at the sudden shift. "You're as cute as ever!" Kotomi runs towards them both of them. He had been one second away from knocking Kuroko's lights out, and now he was running towards Kotomi as if he were a man stranded on an island seeing a boat for the first time in months. But Kuroko also feels a deep relief in his chest as he sees the real Kotomi, already intending to greet her after her brother did so.

"Tomoki!" Kotomi slows down as gets closer and closer to her brother, but still too far for her to meet him in the middle for an emotional embrace like Kuroko first thought. Kuroko's brows fly up and his eyes widen as Kotomi suddenly pulls her arm back and swings with all her might at Tomoki, her fist meeting her twin's cheek so hard that the sound scares a few birds out of their perching spots. Kuroko watches as the teen that he just been threatening him falls to the ground with a huge thud, his head practically bouncing off the pavement. Kuroko almost jumps out of his skin. It had all happened so fast that Kuroko never heard the twin cry in pain. Kotomi rubs her knuckles briefly. Her eyes find Kuroko, and she smiles innocently. If Kuroko hadn't just witnessed what he did, he would believe her innocence without question.

"Kuroko-kun! I'm back!"

"…Welcome back." Tomoki groans and tries to sit up, cradling his cheek that was quickly swelling up.

"Ow…" Without a moment to rest, Kotomi grabs the collar of her brother and starts to drag him back towards the First String Gym. "Ow, ow! Kotomi, where are we going?" Kotomi talks, her voice only slightly encumbered by the weight of dragging the teen with her.

"You're going to apologize to everyone right now." She explained simply. "And you'll introduce yourself properly and hope that Madoka will let you off with that punch I gave you right now." Tomoki gulps heavily, eyes wide with fear not because of his twin, but at the thought of punishment at the hands of their godmother. Kotomi pauses and looks back at Kuroko with gentle smile.

"Sorry, Kuroko-kun. I'll see you tomorrow."

"…Yes." Kuroko watches helplessly as the two disappear, as quickly as they both came, more like phantoms in that moment than Kuroko thought was possible. Only one thought flashed through his head.

 _The Fujisakis…are quite terrifying._

* * *

 **After Afternoon practice ends**

Today was one of the oddest days in a long time for everyone back at the First String gym. They were all endlessly concerned for their suddenly rebellious, violent, passive aggressive friend and fellow manager, only to find out that it was actually her identical twin brother posing as her in an attempt to "get to know" Kotomi's classmates. It was certainly a _well intentioned_ scheme, but certainly left a few individuals scarred for life.

"I, Fujisaki Tomoki, humbly beg for your forgiveness." And now said brother was kneeling, in a skirt, _dogeza_ style, while his twin sister stood behind him with a stern sharpness to her eyes, arms crossed. "I was a bother to everyone today, and I solemnly swear never to bring such trouble anyone here every again. I swear this on our ancestors' graves." The intonation certainly wasn't genuine, but no one really wanted to try and ask him for more.

"Please raise your head," Akashi finally says, adjusting to the situation as he always did. "As long as this won't happen again."

"Hmph!" Aomine shot indignant puffs of air from his nose. "You sure caused us a lot of grief, ya brat." One venomous glare from the prostrated boy was all it took to shut him up. How was someone so small and cute so damn scary?

"T-That's amazing that you two look so alike, Kotomi-chan…" Momoi tries to defuse the situation.

"We get that quite often, but it's a bit troublesome whenever he goes off and does what he wants." Kotomi laughs softly, covering her mouth. "He's kind of troublesome, but he's got a good heart, deep down."

"He could have gotten you expelled." Midorima says indignantly. Tomoki flinches. "Many people truly thought you were acting strange, and he pulled a stunt in the classroom that was incredibly disrespect-"

"That guy talked about your boobs." Tomoki suddenly turns on a gaping Aomine, who turns a darker shade of reddish tan to compliment his golden brown tone.

"I-I did not!"

"I would believe it, but I'll overlook it for today," Aomine sighs in relief. "Consider it grace, since he's my brother."

"I think you should punch him like you punched me." Everyone's eyes widened to the shape of saucers. Kotomi punching someone? "It hurt like a bi-"

"I think it's time we go home!" Kotomi claps, smiling so brightly that it washed away the murderous intent Tomoki was feeling.

 _Too cute!_ Momoi gasps, covering her mouth.

 _Fuck. She definitely knows I said something about her boobs._ Aomine groans internally.

 _Fujisaki-chan continues to get more and more interesting._ Akashi muses, a smile playing on his lips.

 _This is too troublesome. Oha-Asa didn't mention anything about this today._ Midorima worries.

 _Where did we put the souvenirs that Fuji-chin bought us again?_ Murasakibara's eyes are elsewhere in the gymnasium. Tomoki grabs his chest like he's going to have a heart attack.

 _Too bright. Too cute. I'm gonna die already, if she doesn't kill me first._

* * *

The twins finally greet the others goodbye, turning to leave with Kotomi planning to let Tomoki sleep in her room for the night. It was the first time seeing each other in a year and a half, after all.

"Seriously, what were you thinking, Tomo?" Tomoki huffs, looking away with pink cheeks. He holds his sister's hand like they used to as kids as they walked home.. It was a habit he never grew out of, and he got teased by his twin often, considering he was the older one. _By 2 minutes!_ He always retorted.

"I heard from Grandpa Callum that you got shipped out here. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"Well, you could have just asked, you know." Tomoki shoots his sister an incredulous look.

"Well, sister dearest, you're not exactly the most reliable source when it comes to telling people how you're feeling."

"Urk, you've got me there." Tomoki's shoulders slump, and he pouts so hard his cheeks puff out along with his lower lip.

"I just want to make sure I'm here for you this time. I won't screw up again." Kotomi's eyes soften as she moves closer to her brother. Neither of them were perfect when it came to this kind of thing. She could never stay mad at him, either.

"Alright, alright, I'll convince Madoka to not tell our grandparents."

"Oh thank god." Tomoki releases a breath he didn't know he was holding, blowing a few loose strands of raven black hair out of his eyes. "Gramps would definitely use me as a practice dummy for his _kendo_ classes."

"Only _after_ _Sobo_ has beaten your hands with a bamboo branch." Tomoki shudders. He had spent a lot of time with their Japanese grandparents. And he was a troublesome kid even back then. He knew horrors Kotomi had only scratched the surface of.

"It would have been worth it if…" Kotomi glances over at her brother as he trails off. She cocks her head as Tomoki's lips slowly curl up into a wry smile.

"If…?"

"Hmm…If that sorry excuse for a father had shown up." Kotomi's eyes darken a shade as her gaze falls to the ground. Tomoki chuckles to himself, swinging their hands gently as he hummed against the breeze of the impending fall, signaling the end of summer.

"He's not coming anywhere near me if he knows what's good for him." Kotomi says definitively.

"Oh, don't I know it. That punch really hurt you know."

"It was supposed to. I'm still mad, you know. You definitely owe me."

"Sure, sure."

"By the way, Kotomi…"

"Hm?"

"Does Ayato know you're a manager for a basketball team?" Kotomi grits her teeth at the sound of his name, her pretty face grimacing as if the mere mention of the name brought a bitter taste to her mouth.

"As if he would even bother to ask what I'm up to." Tomoki knows he shouldn't push anymore, but he swallows hard and braces himself.

"You should try to talk to him, sometime, you know? I'm sure he-" Tomoki gasps softly as Kotomi suddenly pulls her hand away, walking ahead of her brother. She stops a few feet away, not looking back at him when she suddenly speaks.

"Just because I forgive you for today, doesn't mean I forgive everything else." Tomoki's expression falls and this time he's looking at the ground, pursing his lips.

"Yeah, I know." The two of them walk home in silence, just a few feet apart and the air a little colder.

* * *

 **Omake:**

"By the way, Tomo, did you terrorize anyone else today?"

"Uh…nope. Just those guys. Definitely not anyone else."

"Ah… _Achoo!"_ Kise sneezes, powder flying everywhere and surprising his makeup artists. The blonde rubs under his nose, sniffling away the itch he suddenly had.

"Kise-kun, are you alright? I hope you're not coming down with anything…" Kise waves a hand quickly to bat away his stylist's worries.

"No, I'm fine! Just dusty in here, is all!" As he settled back down into his seat and his mind wandered, he suddenly conjured the face of the girl who confronted him today. His brow furrows and his nose wrinkles, much to the dismay of the woman doing his contour.

 _Am I hated?_

* * *

 **Author's Note: So we got to finally meet one of Kotomi's brothers. I didn't really mean for this chapter to be all about him, but I was having so much fun writing him that I just let it roll. Things are going to start speeding up now, we're getting into Teiko's rise to power and...developments on Kotomi's relationship with them! Thanks for being patient and sticking with me guys! Chapter 10 is on its way! Until next time!**

 **Love, Silky**


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